Fairy Tail Theatre
by CalaveraCandiedSkull
Summary: "Tell us a story, Mama!" And there are so many stories to tell. When Mirajane's young children ask her for a bedtime story, she can't help but to add her own little flair to the traditional fairy tales. "You know, Hansel and Gretel sound suspiciously like Uncle Nastu and Aunt Lucy." "No, they don't!" "Mama, they even have the same names." Various pairings! Complete!
1. Once Upon A Time

**Well, here goes. I am officially writing something for Fairy Tail! Oh, I'm excited... The idea came to me while watching 'Faerie Tale Theatre', (which is a really bad/awesomely cheesy 80's show) and since I love fairy tales to no end, I did this!**

**It's set up very simply – two chapters per fairy tale, one couple per story. The premise is Mirajane telling bedtime stories to her children.**

**By the way, there are lots of pairings here, more than is the norm. I'm a shipping **_**monster**_**, I'm worse than Mirajane, so apart from the more popular couples like NaLu, there might be some crack couples. No, there will be some crack couples. Warning you now!**

**Anyway, here it goes. Another Fairy Tail/fairy tales mashup! Enjoy!**

**XxXxX**

"Mama, I don't want to go to sleep."

Mirajane sat down on the edge of the bed, looking down at the three pairs of bright eyes below her. The eldest of her children stood shakily on the mattress, pouting defiantly at her. "I'm not sleepy!"

She chuckled quietly. "Darling, it's late. You should have been in bed an hour ago. What kind of mother am I if I let you stay up past your bedtime?"

"The best kind!" The youngest yelled, and then all three were jumping up and down.

Mirajane laughed. "All right, all right! How about a compromise?"

They stopped jumping, blinking at her in confusion. Six year olds did not know the meaning of the word 'compromise.'

She smiled at them. "I'll tell you a story."

All three were under the covers before she could say please. Mirajane pulled an old leather-bound book from the dresser. "What do you want to hear tonight?"

"Cinderella!" Her youngest daughter screamed, but her older brother protested. "I hate girly stories!" He complained.

The eldest pondered quietly. "How about you decide, Mama?"

"Mary Jane, you are the brightest of them all." Mira flipped open the book straight to the middle. "Oh, here's a good one! How about 'Hansel and Gretel?'"

"I've never heard that one before!"

"Yeah, but if Mama likes it then it has to be good!"

"All right! Hansel and Gretel!"

Mirajane didn't answer, she was too busy staring at the illustration in the book. The little blonde girl, hand in hand with a little... rose-haired... boy...

"Mama?"

A smile had begun to worm its way onto Mirajane's face, and it wasn't the sweet kind, either. It was the kind she always wore when planning something. The kind that made most of her friends run for cover.

"Now, how do these stories always start?... oh yes. Once upon a time..."

_**HANSEL AND GRETEL**_

Once upon a time, there was a small family who lived in a cottage in the woods. Once a respectable and rich family, they had grown destitute from the great famine that was rocking the kingdom. The great Jude Heartfilia and his wife Layla, had given birth to their daughter Lucy in a sprawling mansion. But, by the time she was three, their fortune was gone and Jude was working as a woodcutter to try and keep the small log cabin afloat.

One day, while out for a walk in the woods, Layla came across a small boy wandering around in the woods. He was crying, but also yelling and angry, and he claimed to be looking for his father, the dragon Igneel. Layla was amazed; this boy couldn't have been older than her own daughter. Her heart went out to him, for she was a kind woman, and she decided he would be a good companion for Lucy, and took him home.

Jude was angry, claiming that they could not afford to feed another mouth, but Layla was stubborn. And the young boy, who claimed his name was Natsu, got along so well with the young Lucy that Jude couldn't bring himself to take him away.

As time went on, Natsu and Lucy grew up to become the very best of friends. Layla loved Natsu as if he was her own, and both listened every day, fascinated about the stories he would tell of the dragon Igneel.

But Jude never was happy. He spent every day trying to bring them out of poverty. But year after year passed, and the great famine that spread across the kingdom was accompanied with war, drought, pestilence and worst of all, the plague. Every day, he suffered the effects of a great man torn from riches to rags.

Jude's breaking point came one night, when the children were seven and eight. Natsu and Lucy came back from an adventure in the woods, and Natsu was carrying in his arms a small, furry creature. A kitten; Natsu named him Happy.

"How could you!" Jude screamed, throwing a piece of pottery at them. Lucy screamed, and Natsu hugged her tightly, as though he could protect her from her father's fury. "We don't have enough food to keep that thing alive!" He pointed at Happy. "First the boy, now the cat! We can't afford to keep them!"

Layla just barely managed to calm him down, promising that a cat was a good idea, that he could feed himself by catching the mice that infested the house. "You won't even know he's there," she soothed.

Jude didn't end up killing Happy that night, but the effect was still the same. Lucy cowered away, terrified, and Natsu felt resentment boiling in his gut.

The worst toll was on Layla. Her health deteriorated, she grew thinner and thinner every day. She became weak, felt faint, and couldn't eat. She fought to stay alive, because she knew that she was the only barrier between the children and Jude's fury and greed. But it was a hard battle, and one that, in the end, could not be won.

One night, when Layla was near her last days, Lucy followed her outside. She watched from behind a tree, as Layla prayed to the stars.

"Cancer, Aquarius," she murmured, "Capricorn, Aries, Scorpio, Taurus... Leo... please, keep Lucy and Natsu safe from harm."

Lucy didn't understand how stars could keep her safe, and as her mother began to cry, so did she.

Layla died the next morning. Lucy was 17 years old.

Jude mourned for his wife, but it wasn't long before he returned to his old ways. The children were old now, and Natsu had the appetite of a monster. It wasn't long before Jude was devising a plan – a horrid, wretched plan that would have made Layla turn in her grave – to get rid of Lucy and Natsu.

xxx

Lucy had been having a strange dream that night. She'd been out swimming, the water crystal clear. Thirsty, she drank it all. But an odd, blue mermaid popped out of nowhere and swept her away in a giant tidal wave, and Lucy realized with a start that she didn't know how to swim.

She awoke, drenched in sweat, and for a moment couldn't figure out where she was. Everything was spinning. Lucy groaned, and rubbed her forehead. This was not a normal nightmare, she decided. And who was that mermaid? She looked awfully familiar...

Lucy put her hand down, but yelped and recoiled when it connected with something warm and smushy. She looked down, and rage flared up inside her.

"Natsu!" she shrieked, kicking him and falling out of bed. "What are you doing?!"

He merely grumbled, and rolled over. "You're so noisy, Lucy..."

Lucy stared at him, infuriated. "Wha-how-what have I told you about sleeping in my bed!?" She cast her glance wildly around the room. "Happy!" There he was, that traitor cat, curled up on Natsu's bed across the floor. "Happy, tell Natsu that he can't sleep in my bed!"

Happy merely opened one eye, and meowed as if to say "You're annoying, Lucy" and went back to sleep.

At the end of her rope, Lucy stood up and pulled the already threadbare blanket off the bed. Natsu shivered and curled up. "Lucy, now I'm cold!"

She was completely mortified to see he'd been sleeping without a shirt on. Lucy spun around to face the wall, fighting the blush rising in her cheeks. _Okay, okay, whatever. Natsu slept in my bed without a shirt on. So what's the big deal? He's like, practically my brother. It doesn't mean anything at all!_

Happy, let out another meow, this one Lucy knew all too well. It was the famous "you liiiiike him" meow.

Just as Lucy lunged to strangle the dumb cat, the door was swung open and Jude stood in the frame. "Good morning," he said in a sombre tone, bowing his head. "Children, I require your presence downstairs. Please join me at the breakfast table." He glanced up, and looked at Natsu. "Isn't that Lucy's bed?"

Breakfast was a quiet one that morning, what with Jude's attitude and Lucy refusing to speak to Natsu. Everyone had their eyes on their plate. Even Happy didn't live up to his name, mournfully chewing on a mouse. Both Natsu and Lucy knew that Happy hated mice, but both were too scared to bring this up with Jude. He couldn't exactly afford gourmet fish, when all they had to eat were bread crusts.

Natsu glanced around furtively. No one was paying any attention, so he grabbed an extra crust and stuffed it in his pocket.

Finally, Jude stood. "Today, I want to take you two out to work with me."

Lucy looked up in excitement. She'd long wanted to help her father, but Natsu frowned. "Why does Lucy have to go work?"

This was dangerous territory, but Natsu was too dense to realize the waves of fury radiating from beside him. Jude looked at him in confusion. "Well, why shouldn't she?"

"She's a girl, right?" Natsu explained. "Don't girls stay at home and do girly things?"

Lucy smacked him on the back of the head. Hard.

Jude chuckled. "That's exactly why she's coming, too."

The three of them walked out onto the dirt road, with Happy trailing behind. Natsu, too stayed back a bit. He didn't know why, but something in the back of his mind was warning him of danger. He hadn't mentioned anything to Lucy, so as not to worry her. But some sense was telling him this may be the last time they saw home.

Stealthily, he reached into his pocket and broke a small crumb and dropped it on the ground. He did so every five paces, leaving behind a small trail of breadcrumbs leading home. Happy glanced up at him questioningly, and he made a shushing noise with his finger.

"Why are you lagging behind there, boy?' Jude called back to him.

"Just walking with Happy," Natsu yelled back, waving good-naturedly. Lucy eyed him suspiciously, but left him be. She was still mad at him.

They continued on like this for what seemed like hours, and Natsu was getting worried. He was running out of crust.

Finally, Jude brought them to a stop. It was small clearing in the woods, where the sun beat down especially hot. "Wait here for just a minute," he said. "I have to get some wood. I trust you'll be here when I get back?" he smiled at them. Natsu's stomach clenched. The smile didn't quite reach his eyes.

They waited for a few minutes. Which turned into a few hours. The peak of the day passed, and the sun began to set. Lucy was pacing nervously.

"He should have been back by now. I hope he's okay! What if something happened to him? What if he was attacked? What if he's currently lying somewhere in the wilderness, mugged and robbed and bleeding to dea-"

Natsu grabbed her shoulders and turned her to face him. "Luce! Calm down."

She took a deep, shuddering breath. "Yup, no, yes, you're right. I should calm down." She sighed, and leaned into his shoulder. "I'm so afraid," she mumbled.

"Of what?"

"That.." she shivered. "That he just left us here."

Happy came up, rubbing along her leg. She laughed shakily. "I know. Crazy, isn't it?"

Natsu didn't answer. Instead he pulled away, looking sideways into the woods. Lucy started to get nervous. "Natsu..."

"I think you might be right."

Lucy blanched. _"Natsu!"_

The sun was setting, and a cold wind descended on the two. Lucy picked up Happy, and held him to her chest for comfort and warmth. "What are we going to do?"

Natsu cast his glance around. "My breadcrumbs are still here!" he yelled triumphantly. "If we hurry, we can follow them back home!"

As they spoke, a large black crow landed on the ground and ate the crumb. He looked defiantly at the companions, the flapped his wings and flew away.

Natsu and Lucy looked at each other.

"_Run!" _

They took off down the trail, in the direction of the breadcrumbs. But as they ran, the trail disappeared, birds were swooping down and taking them away. Space between crumbs became further and further, until no more were in sight.

Lucy stopped running, breathing heavily. Tears leaked from her eyes. "We're too late."

Natsu didn't stop, running around in circles, looking for another breadcrumb. "No! We can't be!" He cried desperately. Night had fallen, and although the moonlight shone down on them, it illuminated no path. They were hopelessly lost.

The sound of sobbing made him stop. He turned to see Lucy, collapsed on the ground, crying her eyes out. "We're never going to find our way home," she whispered, the sound despair loud against the trees. Happy curled up next to her, his eyes gleaming with unshed tears.

Natsu stepped towards her, holding out his hand. "Don't say that, Luce," he said brightly. "If it's you and me, we'll find a way out of this. I promise!"

Still sniffling, she took his hand and he pulled her to her feet. They began again to walk, this time not having any idea where they were headed. But Natsu never once let go of Lucy's hand, and led her surefooted through the dark woods.

A smell wafted across Natsu's nose, and he stopped. Lucy, who had been wiping her eyes and hadn't been looking, walked straight into his back. "Ow! Natsu, why did you-"

"Do you smell that?" He said, nose twitching. Lucy blinked. She'd always known Natsu had a keen sense of smell, but... "I don't smell anything."

"There's something this way!" He yelped, and in a second he was off, nearly pulling Lucy's arm out of her socket. "Quick, come on, Luce!"

They ran over stumps and under logs, weaving in and out of trees and randomly changing directions as Natsu followed his nose. Lucy shrieked, barely able to keep up with his speed.

"Natsu, stop!" she yelled, and ran into him again as he stopped dead. "Ouch! Thank you, but that wasn't quite what I-" she stopped, looking at the scene around her. "...meant..."

There it was. In the middle of the woods, for seemingly no reason at all, complete with a smoking chimney.

A house made of candy.

**XxXxX**

**Well now.**

**I own a book of Grimm's Fairy Tales, passed down to me by my mom. The Hansel and Gretel story is quite different, having Hansel being adopted, and the two getting married in the end. I like it a lot, but it seems to be rather not-well-known. Too bad. **

**Anyway. Hope you enjoyed! And I'll hopefully see you all next time!**

**~CCS**


	2. I Want Candy

**Hey guys, thanks for all the nice feedback! This fandom totally rocks! And now, I just hope I live up to people's expectations. :D**

**XxXxX**

Lucy had heard of gingerbread houses. She'd listened to her mother tell stories about them, and how she'd eaten them every Christmas as a little girl. Houses made of pure sugar; the tales had always made little Lucy's mouth water.

But she didn't even know how to describe this.

The walls were, indeed, made of gingerbread. Multicoloured frosting ran along the roof, looking like inviting snow. The windows were sugar frosted, decorated with candy canes and peppermints. A million small candies, ones she didn't even know the names of, decorated the walk.

"Natsu..." she breathed. "What is this place?"

He didn't answer; he was standing in awe, eyes sparkling with joy and wonder of finding a place like this. In the soft pink and yellow light coming from the house, he looked softer and sweeter than usual. Almost handsome.

She swallowed very thickly. This was not the time to be thinking like that, her stomach reminded her with a loud growl. The sound also seemed to jerk Natsu out of his reverie, because a large toothy grin plastered his face.

"_Dinnertime!"_

In hindsight, eating the entire west wing of the house was not a good idea. In reality, there were stones underneath the gingerbread, so the house itself was still standing. But it was not the fact that they ate someone's house that was making Natsu and Lucy feel so awful.

It was just how much they ate.

Natsu groaned, lying on his back. "I'm never going to eat again, Luce," he promised her. She didn't answer, only rolled over and tried not to puke. Even Happy was waddling, his stomach bloated. He'd been especially excited to eat anything but mice.

They fell asleep on the front porch, just as the first rays of morning light hit the house.

The sun was still climbing when the owner of the house came home.

"Oh, my," he said lightly, as he saw the two sleeping figures sprawled out on the porch. "Weary travelers! I wonder..." He leaned over them. "Hmm, not quite children anymore..." He caught sight of Natsu's hair. "Oh! What a lovely colour of hair!" He leaned down, whispering to Natsu's form. "I bet you'll be extra delicious!"

And with that, he slung the two over his shoulders and stepped inside, singing as he went.

What he missed, was the small blue cat, hiding behind a Kit-Kat pillar. Happy shook, nearly paralyzed with fear. Evil had radiated from the man, and he's said something terrible – he was going to eat Natsu!

Happy needed to stop him.

xxx

When Lucy woke up, she blinked several times. She'd been having another strange dream. This time, she'd been trying to eat some more of the house, but a strange man in a suit had been pulling it away. She reached forward, trying to eat some more, but he held it just out of reach.

'_You can't eat it, Lucy,'_ he said, and his voice was oddly familiar.

She woke up to see that she was no longer outside the house, but inside. She was curled up in a bed much too small, one that must have been made for someone younger. Natsu was sleeping peacefully beside her.

The inside was even more nicely decorated that the outside, with so many sweets everywhere, Lucy didn't know where to look. Her eyes came to rest on a large buffet table, with a man setting out trays of candy.

She squeaked and pulled the covers up higher.

The man turned around, and his face broke into a rather terrifying smile. "Oh good!" He said kindly. "You are awake! I was beginning to think you two would never wake up!" he laughed heartily, as though it was an incredibly funny joke. Lucy cracked half a smile, reaching down to shake Natsu awake.

He mumbled, then shot up so fast Lucy swore she heard something crack. "Where are we? Who are you?' he demanded, holding his hands up in defense. It wasn't a particularly scary pose, seeing as he still had a bed-head.

"Why, I am the owner of this house," the man said, dropping into a sweeping bow. "Master Jose Porle."

Natsu and Lucy looked at each other, not quite sure of what to make of him. He noticed their expressions, and stood back up. "I built this house to save the children in the woods who get lost." He nodded to the wall, where Lucy realized there were dozens of pictures of young, smiling children. "They come to me, hungry and alone, and offer them food and shelter. They love me forever." He looked back appraisingly at the two. "You two are by far the oldest I've saved, but I don't discriminate! You are welcome here as long as you need."

It was a kind offer, but Lucy could feel in her gut that something was off. "That is so very kind of you," she said slowly, "but we really need to be getting back home."

Jose's smile wavered just a bit. "Home?" he said, eyeing them both. "Are you sure you're still wanted there?"

Lucy shrank back into the bed. Jose's eyes were boring into hers. "Didn't you come here because you don't have a home anymore?"

Natsu wrapped his arm around Lucy protectively, and she turned, pressing her face into his chest. He still smelled like their old house, and a sudden wave of sadness that overcame her. Natsu seemed to sense it, tightening his arm. "Hey, shut up," he growled at Jose.

For a second, Jose's mask of kindness was shattered and he looked like he wanted to kill Natsu. Lucy didn't see it, because she had her face hidden, but she felt Natsu's arm tighten further.

But it was only for a second, and then Jose's face was back to normal. He nodded, as though he understood. "Yes, of course," he said smoothly. "I apologize for my harsh words. Of course you'll want to be getting home. But before you go," he swept his hand around the room, "please, explore my house! And feel free to take whatever you like. The journey home is a long one, and you mustn't be without food!"

Lucy looked up at him, her eyes wide and trusting. She truly wanted to believe that Jose was a good man. And she was desperate for some god news. "Really?"

"Absolutely!" He said, smiling. Lucy smiled back, wiping tears out of her eyes. She hopped out of the bed.

"Come one, Natsu!" she exclaimed happily. "Let's go explore!" She disappeared out of the room.

Natsu moved to follow her, but quick as lightning, Jose grabbed his arm. "Not you," he hissed, and pulled Natsu away. "You're coming with me!"

xxx

Lucy turned corners with awe in her eyes. Every step she took, she swiped something off the wall. After years of living in poverty, this house was everything she ever dreamed of. The candy tasted so good, she never wanted to leave.

Oh. Well, that didn't sound too good.

Lucy glanced around. "Natsu?" Come to think of it, it was odd that she didn't see him. Usually he'd be the one leading the way. Actually, she couldn't remember seeing him at all since they'd left the room. "Natsu!"

The window beside her shattered, and Lucy shrieked. Pieces of sugared glass went everywhere, and she duck for cover. Something came flying through the window – something loud and furry and very, very blue.

"Happy!"

Lucy gasped in amazement. She hadn't seen their cat since they'd gone inside the house. She hadn't even thought about him the whole time they were there! Guilt welled up in her chest, and she grabbed the cat, hugging him tightly. "Oh, Happy, I'm so glad to see you."

But Happy was hearing none of it. He struggled his way out of Lucy's arms, and began to meow very viciously. Lucy had a hard time following, but from what she could discern, it sounded like he was saying, 'Lucy, we need to hurry and find Natsu because the man who lives here is evil and if we don't find Natsu in time he's going to eat him!'

Lucy blinked. Sometimes she wondered if Happy really could talk.

But there was no time to waste. If what Happy said – well, meowed – was true, then Natsu was in a whole lot of trouble and she had to find him.

She began to run around the house, carrying Happy in her arms. Every room was empty, neither Jose nor Natsu were anywhere to be found. Her heart in her throat, Lucy stopped in the middle of the house and screamed out, _"Natsu!"_

Jose appeared behind her, and she stifled a scream. He didn't look the same anymore, the sugary smile on his face was positively murderous. "Well, I guess our little game is up. How would you like to watch as your little friend is roasted alive?"

He dragged her kicking and screaming down rickety stairs, to a basement that was definitely not made of candy. At the back of the room was an open oven with a roaring flame. Sitting beside it, bound and gagged, was Natsu.

Lucy cried out, and tried to reach for him, but before she could, Jose had thrown her in a small cage. Lucy coughed, and tried to stand up. A hand went down to steady herself, and she realized with sickened horror that the cage was full of bones. Small bones.

Children's bones.

"You're a monster," she whispered, terrified. Jose cackled. Natsu struggled against his bonds, yelling out things to Lucy. She couldn't hear them, because of the gag everything he said was muffled.

"Now, now, Natsu, stop struggling!" Jose crooned. "Usually I have more time to fatten up my children before I cook them, but you two just wouldn't stop talking about home." He sighed, like it was some great tragedy. "Oh, well, I suppose you'll have to do. You're tall enough, anyway."

A crazy light was flashing in Jose's eyes. "You two are just a regular Hansel and Gretel."

Lucy rattled the cages of the bar, trying desperately to get out. But without a key, there was no way she'd break down the doors in time. The heat from the fire was almost unbearable. Happy mewled in despair.

She couldn't breathe. There was ash in her lungs. Fighting consciousness, Lucy fell to her knees. The world around her buzzed in and out of sight. _Mother,_ she thought. _Mother, please help me..._

_Cancer, Aquarius, Capricorn, Aries, Scorpio, Taurus... Leo... please, keep Lucy and Natsu safe from harm._

The voice from her past echoed in her head. The last words she heard her mother say. At the time, Lucy had wondered how stars could possibly save her life. Now, she would have accepted help from anyone.

_Cancer, Aquarius, Capricorn, Aries, Scorpio, Taurus, Virgo, Libra, Pisces, Gemini, Sagittarius, Leo._

Something heavy fell into her pocket.

Lucy didn't know how, or why, but with the last dregs of her strength, she reached in and pulled it out. It was a shiny, golden key.

A key.

Suddenly, Lucy wasn't tired anymore. The buzzing in her head cleared, and she stood up triumphantly, clutching the key. She threw herself onto the cage doors, shoved the key inside, and turned it. She was almost not surprised when it clicked and the gate door swung open.

Natsu was nearly in the fire, pushing hard against the doors of the oven. Jose was desperately trying to push him in, but Natsu was giving the fight of his life. Lucy stood over the scene, torn between fear and anger. How _dare_ anyone do that to her Natsu.

"Hey Jose!" She yelled. He turned and looked, and in his surprise at seeing the cage open, dropped Natsu. Lucy grinned in triumph. "Your cooking stinks!"

She kicked him square in the rear, and he went tumbling over into the oven.

Natsu stared up at her from the floor. "Lucy!" He yelled in amazement. "That was so awesome! How did you get out of the cage?"

But Lucy reached down and grabbed his hand. "No time to talk!" She dragged him out up the stairs, scooping up Happy along the way.

For the fire from the oven had begun to spread more quickly than either could have anticipated. By the time they made it to ground level, the flames were licking at their ankles.

Together, they leaped out of the house, as the floors began to cave in. The sugar burned easily, and the gingerbread house of Lucy's dreams was up in smoke within minutes.

Natsu watched the house burn, wistful. "I almost want to eat it."

Lucy sighed, and threw her head back. Laughter bubbled up in her throat, and soon she was laughing, and the she was crying, or maybe it was both.

"Luce?" Natsu asked, a little worried. "Are you okay?"

She calmed down, wiping her eyes. "Yeah, I'm fine." She punched him lightly in the shoulder. "You scared me is all."

"How did you get out of the cage?" Natsu asked again. Lucy pulled the key out of her pocket, and stared at it wonderingly. She didn't know why, but it felt like a guardian, like something – or someone – who would always be watching over her.

Night had fallen, and the sky was riddled with stars. As she looked at them, she began to see forms. Faces. People, their bodies made of tiny pinpricks of light. The strange mermaid from her dreams, the man in the suit. And something that looked a lot like her mother.

They sat that night, by the glow of the burning house, looking up at the stars and trying to make out all the different pictures. Just Natsu, Lucy and Happy.

xxx

"Jose was right about one thing, you know," Lucy pointed out, as they picked their way through the woods. Today felt like the brightest day in a hundred years, and Lucy was basking up the sunlight.

"What is that?" Natsu asked, kicking a few stones and watching in amusement as they scattered up dust.

"We can't go home." Lucy shrugged. "My father basically left us in those woods to die."

Natsu moved a little closer to her. "We could go back and kill him."

Lucy laughed. "No, Natsu! That's awful." She sighed. "We'll just have to start up a new adventure."

Natsu was silent for a moment. She stopped, pulling him around to look at his face. His expression was unreadable.

"Let's go look for Igneel."

Lucy was taken aback. Of course, she'd always believed Natsu about the dragon that raised him, who he called his father. But he hadn't talked about him in years, and Lucy had always assumed that he'd given up on finding him.

"Luce?" She realized she'd been lost in thought. "What do you think?"

"It's a brilliant idea," she said. "Let's go find Igneel."

Natsu didn't say anything, just threw his arms around her. Lucy smiled, and hugged him back tightly. Happy meowed excitedly, and jumped around, splashing as he went.

Wait, splashing? Lucy opened her eyes, and gasped. "Natsu! Oh, look! It's beautiful!"

Behind them, there was a beautiful, crystalline river, full of jumping fish and smooth polished rocks. On the other side, grass was everywhere, in an open plain in the sunlight. Flowers and grain grew in abundance, and at the very edge of the horizon, a town rose up to meet them.

"The end of the famine," Natsu breathed. Lucy cried out in delight, and Natsu picked her up, twirling them around until they were too dizzy to walk. They collapsed on the sand beside the river.

Happy splashed around the river, completely shattering the stereotype that cats don't like water. He was also eating half the fish in the river. Lucy watched him fondly. He was so happy, just like his name.

She looked over again at Natsu, who was lying down beside her with his eyes closed. She remembered again the way she'd felt when Jose was trying to kill him, like she was going to lose him forever. There had been an unending pit of terror in her stomach. The idea of going a day without Natsu was like trying to breath with no air.

"Hey, Natsu."

He cracked one eye open, and looked up, just in time for her to lean over and kiss him.

Happy looked up, and let out a cry of disgust at the sight of his two masters together. But neither paid him any heed, Natsu simply wrapped his arm around Lucy's waist and pulled her closer.

And – this is, of course, apart from Jude, who'd died around the same time Jose did, and lived out the last of his days consumed by bitter grief - they all lived happily ever after.

_**THE END**_

"That was a dumb ending."

"EW! I hate romance!"

The two older children had their faces buried in the covers. Fern was sitting up straight, chubby arms placed on her hips. "Hansel and Gretel sounded suspiciously like Uncle Natsu and Aunt Lucy."

Mirajane covered a giggle behind her hand.

She tucked all three under the covers. "Have good sleep, darlings," she said quietly. "Don't let the bed bugs bite."

"I wanted a princess story," Fern pouted. Mira kissed her forehead.

"Tomorrow night," she promised, and blew the light out.

**XxXxX**

**Yes, first story done! This really flew off my fingers, oh my...**

**Can you guess who inhabits the next fairy tale? I'll give you a hint – the princess has a beautiful voice, but her songs sound a little like "Drip, drip, drop~"**

**Until next time!**

**~CCS**


	3. The World Above

**You guys are the best :3**

**And to my dear guest Betta Fische, who I cannot send a reply to: Psh, you are making me blush. Stop it~**

**XxXxX**

"You promised me a princess story."

Fern was standing in the doorway, looking very much like a snotty princess herself. Mirajane scooped her up on the way through. Fern shrieked and fought against her mother, but Mirajane was stronger and thus prevailed.

Mary Jane was sitting quietly on her side of the bed, holding the old book of fairy tales in her hands. "Here you go, Mama," she said, reaching out. "Don't ruin tonight's story like you ruined Hansel and Gretel."

"Yeah! I wanna hear an _action _story!"

"Hush, Hugo, your sister asked for a princess story so that's what we'll get. And Mary Jane, that wasn't very nice. I didn't ruin Hansel and Gretel."

"Yes, you did," all three mumbled but she paid them no heed. Mira hummed lightly to herself as she flipped through the pages, looking for the perfect princess story for Fern.

"Oh, this one will do," she sighed, looking at the beautiful illustration. Hmmm, this one looked awfully familiar as well...

Mira knew she'd promised not to ruin another story. She knew it. But when presented with the image of the dark-haired prince and the beautiful blue mermaid, she knew there was only one thing that could happen.

"Once upon a time..."

_**THE LITTLE MERMAID**_

Once upon a time, there was a kingdom that rested on the shores of a mighty ocean. The kingdom respected the ocean and it's power, and all of its inhabitants. And those who had lived there long enough, and were old enough, and believed in magic enough, knew the truth about what lived in the ocean.

"Arr, I'll tell ye what be under those choppy waters," the sailor said, leaning forward conspiratorially. "Creatures of the deep sea – terrifying, yet beautiful. Aye, Your Highness. _Mermaids._"

"Wow," the prince said, leaning back on his elbows. "That's amazing. They really exist?"

The sailor nodded fervently. The prince let out a short bark of laughter, and called out to his companion. "Gray! Come here and listen to this!"

The younger prince looked over at his older brother, despair and disbelief written all over his face. "Lyon, you don't really believe all that about mermaids, do you?"

The sailor hobbled over to Prince Gray, wooden leg clunking along the deck. "Don't think of speaking that way, Your Highness!" he hissed. "If King Triton hears ye, there'll be a storm a' brewin'!"

Gray rolled his eyes, and turned back to look over the deck down into the fathomless waters below.

"There's no way anything could live under there," he said quietly, almost to convince himself.

And he threw a rock over the side, watching it sink out of sight.

But out of sight was not out of mind, and the rock continued to sink long after Gray lost sight. It floated down, down, down, managing to not get tangled in seaweed or trapped in a whale's mouth. It sank all the way to where the light stopped hitting the bottom, and then just a little further.

It fell right into the outstretched hands of the young woman in the water.

She cupped the small rock in her hands and sighed, pulling it close to her body. Looking up, she could only just imagine what the surface was like, miles away.

"This rock," she breathed, "this rock, it was thrown down by a human! Isn't that just wonderful, Teru Teru Bozu?"

The doll did not answer her.

She frowned and swam around in a circle. "Juvia wishes she had more friends to talk to."

Still clutching the small rock in her hands, Juvia moved her tail fluidly, pushing through the dark waters. She sang quietly to herself as she did, an odd little number that sounded like "Drip, drip, drop..."

"Juvia wishes she could really see the rain," she sighed, clutching her doll tight. "Oh, wouldn't that just be wonderful? If only Juvia could go to the surface!" She twirled around, but stopped short. "Oh dear, better stop that talk. Daddy wouldn't like it." She giggled, and pulled Teru Teru Bozu along over the ocean ridge, where the valley was flooded with light.

It would have taken a normal person's breath away. Here, in the middle of the bone-crushing, ice-cold black waters, sitting on the sand at the bottom, was a sprawling palace, with beautiful corals and floating pieces of seaweed. Colourful shells had lights behind them, casting all kinds of colour across the city. Mermaids of every kind and colour darted in and out of windows, swam along the streets, and did what mermaids do best – they sang.

As she swam up to the front of the palace, the crowds parted for Juvia. They whispered amongst themselves. Juvia pretended not to notice, but she did. The people had to be respectful to their princess, but in reality, they didn't like her. They thought she was creepy, and odd. She didn't sing the same songs as the rest of them. As Juvia swam past them, she could just make out their harsh whispers.

By the time she made it into the palace, Juvia was fighting back tears.

"His Royal Highness, King Triton requests and audience with his daughter," a herald called, but she pushed past him without a word. Family would have to wait.

Out of the palace, behind the gardens and at the very edge of the cavern, there was a small crack in the rocks, one would have missed it if they weren't looking. Juvia cast a furtive glance around, then disappeared through it.

Inside, there was almost no light, other than the small shell-lamp on the roof, casting everything in a depressing blue light. Juvia curled up on the sand, sobbing to herself.

"Why do they hate Juvia so much?" she asked quietly. "Why can't she just be happy?" Nothing answered her. She looked at her doll, her only friend. "Why does Juvia feel so alone?"

He didn't move. Juvia threw him against the wall in anger. Then, for good measure, she threw the rock after him.

"You are an awful friend to Juvia!" She yelled at him, and threw herself down on the sand, sobbing inconsolably.

"Juvia wishes she could go to the surface," she sang softly. "They might not hate her. They might not shun her." She sniffled. "They might love her. Juvia wishes she could go to the surface."

A small voice in the back of her head said, _Why don't you?_

Juvia sat up. Rapidly, she wiped the tears off her face. Of course! Why couldn't she go to the surface? What was stopping her? Other than Father, but - what he didn't know wouldn't hurt him, right?

Suddenly rejuvenated, Juvia picked Teru Teru Bozu off the floor. "Juvia is sorry that she threw you," she said. "But you can't feel it anyways. And now Juvia thinks you need to stay here while she goes to explore the surface!"

She left him sitting in the sand, while she bolted out of the cave and in a straight upwards line.

Although Juvia could just barely see the surface, it was still a long ways away. She started off swimming fairly fast, but by the time she was up to warmer waters, she'd slowed down.

"Juvia is not so sure about this anymore..." she mumbled, but allowed herself to keep floating upwards.

The moonlight was shining down into the water, and a single stream caught Juvia. She gulped. Only ten feet away, she was now. Just another wave of her fin... she'd be right there.

Quickly, before she lost heart, Juvia pushed herself upward until she was just below the water's edge. Taking a deep breath, she rose slowly above the surface.

Cool night breezes rushed across her face, and she gasped. The intake of cold air into unused lungs was cold, and sharp as a knife. She ducked right back under, breathing the water in heavily.

_Coward,_ the voice in her head said. Juvia looked back up. This was the surface she'd been dreaming of for so long. She was not going to let some stupid chills scare her off.

This time, when she broke the surface, she was ready for the cold, and found it rather exhilarating. She raised a hand above, reaching it up to the sky. Her entire arm developed goose bumps, and she stared at it in wonder. The water ran down her skin in rivulets.

Juvia began to laugh, and twirled around, raising both hands. So this was the surface.

Mermaids were missing out.

Loud noises came from over on her right, and she whirled around. What _was_ that? Juvia's eyes widened as recognition flooded her mind. It was a ship! Only it wasn't like the sunken one's she sometimes liked to explore, skeletons of wood and metal, rusted and full of skeletons. This was a full-blown, fully alive ship floating on the surface.

She swam up to it quietly. On the deck, there were people dancing and singing, and ale was drunk in all directions. As Juvia pulled herself up to watch through a portal, she could barely contain her excitement.

_Humans._

Hairy, dirty, loud barbarians. They were everything her father said they were. Only, there was something else about them; something graceful about the way they walked, how the men strutted or the women swayed from side to side. Juvia wondered if she could ever move like that, so sensual and beautiful.

The humans were _so_ beautiful.

"Here, here!" The party died down, and Juvia hid a little, trying not to be seen. The porthole cast a shadow over her face, and she slunk into it.

"We are here, tonight, celebrating on this boat - the birthday of a very special friend of ours, the Prince!"

Cheers erupted on the deck. Juvia strained her eyes. A prince? Which one was he?

The young man stepped forward, his silver hair gleaming in the moonlight. Juvia raised her eyebrows. Well now, he was handsome.

"Thank you, thank you," the prince said laughing. "Ah yes, thank you very much." A few other people were laughing. "A wonderful occasion, it really is-"

"Wrong prince!" Somebody yelled, and threw a cup of ale in his direction. The prince flipped him a rude hand gesture, which only served the people on the boat to laugh harder. Juvia blushed and frowned.

"Yes, yes, I know," he sighed. "The real reason we're all here is to celebrate my baby brother's 18th birthday. Come one out, Gray!"

The crowds cleared to reveal another young man. But rather than the well dressed, proper looking prince making the speech, the man was slouched at the bar, chugging ale while a few people cheered.

And he wasn't wearing any kind of a shirt.

Juvia let out a strangled sound, and ducked below the deck. Her heart was beating so fast she feared it would pop right out of her chest. She clutched at it, willing herself to calm down.

Once she dared, she looked over the rim again. There was the shirtless prince, standing tall and proud as the people celebrated his birthday. Juvia willed herself not to look away. He was almost too beautiful.

A short man in a suit much too tight for his body stepped forward. "Now, as you know," he proclaimed, "This kingdom has been in mourning for the death of its beautiful Queen Ur for a long time."

Everyone in the audience bowed their head, including Lyon and Gray. The herald continued, "But, before she left, she blessed us with the heirs to her throne; her two marvellous boys!"

A cheer went up. "And, as Prince Gray has now turned eighteen, the time has come for you boys," the herald smiled, "To find a bride!"

Gray blanched. Juvia felt her heart stop, and nearly fell off the boat. _A bride?_ Prince Gray was looking to be married?

The party cheered, and went back to its drinking and singing and gambling. But Gray stumbled a bit, making his way over to where Juvia was sitting. Noticing the cool breeze, he grabbed a shirt and haphazardly tossed it over his head, leaning over the side of the boat. Juvia squeaked. If he looked down, he'd be able to see her. She tried to blend in to the wood.

The other prince, Lyon, came over and threw his arm around Gray's shoulder. "So! See any ladies you think are worth marrying?"

Gray shoved him off. "Shut up, Lyon."

"No, I'm serious! Everyone in the whole kingdom is talking about your engagement, and you'd know it too, if you'd go outside more."

Gray turned away. "Why does everyone care about what happens to me?"

Lyon sighed. "Look, I know you loved Ur. I did, too. And so did every single person in this kingdom. But she's been gone for so long, and everyone just wants to see you happy again! You could marry a peasant girl for all they cared!"

"I don't want to get married because people want me to, or to fill the void Ur left!" Gray snapped at him. "If I ever do get married... it has to be because I want to! Not because some idiots told me I should!"

Lyon pressed his face up to Gray's. "You calling me an idiot?"

Gray stared back. "You bet I am."

It looked like it could get ugly. Juvia was excited. What if one of them got so impassioned, they threw the other off the deck? And then the other felt so much remorse, they jumped in to save him? Oh, Juvia would love to see that...

The lightning that flashed across the sky started her out of her daydreams, and pulled Gray and Lyon out of their fight. A few panicked cries came from the passengers. In an instant, Juvia realized what was happening. A flash storm, so infamous for causing whirlpools and wreaking havoc across the mermaid kingdom. Only, this was on the surface.

And it was so much more terrifying.

Juvia dove into the water, straight down like an arrow. She started to swim downwards, towards the calmer waters, but something made her stop. She looked back up at the ship, which she knew was doomed to sink. Of the poor people, trapped on board. Of Prince Gray.

But she was just one mermaid, and this was an entire sinking ship. What could she possibly hope to do?

And then it happened. From under the water, she could see brightness capturing the boat. She gasped. Juvia had no idea what could possibly cause the ship to glow, but she swam up to the surface to see.

Heat blasted her face. Juvia squinted her eyes. She could barely see anything; the heat of what she assumed was the human thing called 'fire' was making it almost unbearable to keep them open. Through the haze, she could see the humans getting off on to smaller boats, floating through the choppy waters to get away from the flaming ship.

Juvia looked wildly around for Prince Gray. But she couldn't see him anywhere! Surely as a prince, he'd be one of the first people off! But no, there he was, still on the deck. Helping people of and trying to fight the fire.

Juvia's heart nearly melted. _Such a strong, brave, handsome prince_.

But disaster struck, when the deck of the ship collapsed, carrying Gray along with it.

Juvia didn't even think about it. She dove under the water, swimming straight to where it was nearly boiling from the heat, searching frantically for the prince. He floated in the water, mouth hanging open. He looked dead. Juvia wrapped her arms tightly around his waist, and began to swim.

xxx

Juvia collapsed on the beach, exhausted, as the first rays of morning hit her. The sun had arrived, the sky clearing after last night's awful storm. Juvia basked in the sunlight for a moment – oh, how wonderful it felt! – before remembering that she had a greater purpose.

Gray was lying on the beach, not breathing. Somewhere along the way, he'd lost his shirt, but Juvia didn't have time to marvel at his perfectly sculpted chest. She studied his face desperately for any signs of life.

Juvia shivered. She tried to remember everything she had been taught about humans. They breathed air, they had lungs. But if those lungs were blocked, they couldn't breathe. And without breath, they would die.

She pushed lightly on Gray's chest, then a little harder. Seawater spilled out, and he coughed. Juvia recoiled, waiting to see if he'd wake up. But he did nothing, didn't breathe.

She leaned over him. Maybe, he just needed a little jumpstart.

Trembling, she pressed her lips to his, and breathed out.

Gray began to breathe almost instantly, and Juvia nearly wept for joy. He was alive! And oh, he was _so_ handsome, Juvia could barely contain herself. She was so happy, she began to sing. No words, just a tune, a lovely lullaby about love.

Gray's eyes fluttered. Juvia sighed. "Oh, Gray," she sang. No, that didn't sound right. He was a prince, wasn't he? Surely he should have some kind of honorific... like...

"Oh, Gray-sama," she sang, and this time it flowed beautifully.

He cracked his eyes open ever so slightly.

"Gray!"

"Your Highness!"

The calls were coming from just offshore. Juvia leapt away from Gray-sama, diving into the shallow waters, not noticing his hand outstretched after her. Lyon and the herald round the corner, looking almost giddy with relief when they saw him.

"I thought you'd died on me!" Lyon yelled, clapping Gray on the back. He stumbled just a bit. "How on Earth did you survive?"

"There was a girl," Gray said, rubbing his head. "A girl, she... she was singing." He looked up in wonder. "She kissed me."

Lyon let out a short bark of laughter. "I think you hit your head a little too hard there, my friend. Come! Let's get you back to the castle."

Juvia watched them long after they went, until they were only shadows on the edges of the horizon. Her heart was still fluttering, and her lips were still tingling. She'd never felt like this before, and it was electrifying.

"Is this what they call 'love'," She murmured, reaching out her hand. "Gray-sama?"

Little did Juvia know that she was being watched.

"Come look at this, Meredy." The voice twisted like glass, echoing along the smooth walls of the sea cave. "The poor child is in love with a human!"

Her hands came to rest on the crystal ball, fingernails clinking. "And not just any human... my darling Gray."

A small girl, with a scrawny figure and odd pink hair floated into vision. "What shall we do, Your Majesty?"

"Oh," the witch sighed, twirling a strand of hair around her finger. "I say we let the mermaid come to us. This could be the perfect way to get revenge on precious Gray Fullbuster." Her nails scratched the crystal as they dug down, at the mention of Gray's name. "Not to mention, the depressed, love struck mermaid princess would make a charming addition to my collection."

Her laughter echoed across the garden of small, twisted souls planted in the ground.

xxx

Juvia flitted around the mermaid city, humming as she did. Not even the odd stares of the citizens could bring her down today. Juvia was a changed girl. She was in love! She couldn't wait to tell Teru Teru Bozu about Gray-sama. She knew he'd be happy for her.

She slipped out the back of the castle, twirling through the waters to her secret grove. She didn't know how, but she knew one thing for sure – she was going to find a way to make Gray-sama love her.

Once inside her grotto, she made to find her doll, but something was in her way. She looked up at the shadowy figure. "Father?"

"Where were you last night?"

It was the question every teenage girl hears, human or mermaid. Juvia shrank back a little. "Hm? Last night?"

"I sent repeated summons for you. Yet you were nowhere to be found. Why is that?"

Juvia had never been scared of her father before. But then, she'd never had a reason to be before. "I..."

"And Imperial scouts said they witnessed a mermaid save a man from drowning. There is a rule against that."

There was? Juvia had never heard it before. She wondered, if she'd known, would she have still done it? Her heart said yes.

"So if I find the mermaid who broke this rule, I will be forced to exile them."

Juvia did not answer. Rage boiled within her. Her father swam past, making for the exit, but she turned to face him. "He would have died, Daddy! I had to do something!"

He turned. "So it was you."

The rage in his voice was quiet, but dangerous. She straightened her back, not backing down. "Daddy, I love him!"

He didn't answer, but picked up Teru Teru Bozu. "You will regret saying that."

And the doll burst into flames.

Juvia screamed, lunging for her one friend, her only friend, but it was too late. He was gone, not even a scrap remained. Over the sound of her sobbing, she could barely make out his words. "Princess Juvia, you are hereby stripped of your title and banished from this kingdom."

She only cried harder.

Juvia didn't know how many hours she spent crying. It seemed like a never ending torrential, like a downpour, a flood. Like rain that would never stop, Juvia could not stop crying.

Eventually, she calmed down, and realized that she would have to leave. Her heart felt heavy, like stone. But at the same time, she felt light, as though she were floating away. She made to grab Teru Teru Bozu, to bring him with her, and remembered that he was gone.

"Poor princess."

Juvia jumped, startled, whipping around. "Who is there!?"

The figure slunk into view, a small, scrawny girl with pink hair. Juvia realized with a start that this was no mermaid. She had legs. "A human! How is – how are you-"

Juvia was in awe. The human girl, who was breathing the water just as any mermaid would, leaned over to whisper in her ear. "Ultear has many powers. Great powers."

Juvia gasped. "The sea witch?"

"Not so much a witch." The girl shrugged. "More like an angel." She held out her hand. "I am Meredy."

"Meredy..." Juvia whispered, nearly raising out her hand. But she pulled it back. "Juvia couldn't possibly."

Meredy shrugged. "Suit yourself. But really, what have you got to lose?"

She swam out of the cavern, leaving Juvia alone with her thoughts. She was right. Juvia had no more life here. The people hated her. Her own father banished her. Her only friend was gone. The only thing left for her was forwards. Upwards. Maybe, towards Gray-sama.

"Wait!"

Juvia nearly flew out of the cavern, catching up to Meredy. "Juvia will come! Take me with you!"

Meredy smiled. "Now that's what I like to hear."

xxx

The sea witch's abode was nothing short of horrifying. It was a grotesque skeleton of a sea monster, filled in with shining black rock. A small underwater volcano was oozing lava off the top. Juvia gasped in fear as they passed over a garden of.. _things_, small shrunken creatures attached to the ground, reaching out to her with withered hands. _Don't go_, they whispered to her, pity and fear in their large sunken eyes.

"Ultear's Garden of Souls," Meredy explained matter-of-factly. "Souls who couldn't pay the price."

Juvia shivered.

Ultear was waiting for her, stretched out on a ledge by a crystal ball. She stroked in lovingly, and smiled. "Welcome, Princess Juvia," she said caressingly.

Juvia hung her head. "Juvia is not a princess anymore," she whispered tearfully.

Ultear shook her head. "Nonsense. You should realize by now that I don't listen to what your father has to say." She slid off the ledge, dragging her tentacles with her. "Now, Princess Juvia, what is it your heart desires?"

_Gray-sama_, she thought. Ultear raised an eyebrow. "The human prince?"

Juvia was taken aback. Ultear merely shrugged. "I understand, of course; he is quite dreamy. Any girl would be lucky to have him." She looked straight at Juvia. "But you'd have to become human, of course."

"Can Ultear-san do that?"

"Of course!" Ultear laughed. "Now here's the deal, sweet Princess Juvia. I can make you human, give you legs. But they will hurt. Every time you step, it will feel like knives stabbing you a hundred times over. But you will be human. And you have three days to make prince boy fall in love with you. Just three days. If he kisses you, the kiss of true love, the pain will leave you and you'll be a happy human forever. But it he does not," Ultear smiled wickedly. "You belong to me."

Juvia gulped. "What is it Ultear-san asks for as payment?"

Ultear smiled. "Why, you do know how life works, don't you?" She laughed. "All right, it's a simple as this. Your voice."

"Juvia's voice?"

"That's right? Easy enough, isn't it? After all, Gray doesn't seem like a man of many words. I'm sure, with your beauty and charm and human-ness, you'd be sure to win him over."

Juvia touched her throat. Her voice? It honestly seemed easy.. Juvia had never been much of a talker, and people never liked it when she sang. But would she be able to win over Gray-sama?

Ultear was waiting impatiently. "Deal?"

It was a hard bargain. No, an impossible bargain. The chances of Juvia winning were slim to none, and if she lost... a single look at the trapped souls outside and Juvia knew that wasn't worth any risk.

But Gray-sama was more than a risk. He was true love. And if he didn't love Juvia back, she may as well be one of those poor, tormented creatures.

She had nothing to lose.

"Deal."

**XxXxX**

**Just in case anyone is wondering, I'm mixing both the original fairy tale and the Disney version quite equally. I like the fairy tale and all, but.. the ending is depressing. I mean Hans Christian Anderson was not a happy dude. SO many of his stories end awfully.**

**Also, not much Triton in this story. I don't like him. Never have, even as a kid. He scared me. Just picture whatever Juvia's dad probably looks like!**

**This one is so much harder to write because I keep stopping to watch the movie. I like it waaayyy too much. Haha... I'm so awful**

**BUT I hope you enjoyed! Stay tuned for part two!**

**~CCS**


	4. This Poor, Unfortunate Soul

**Oh my glob you guys. Stop making me love you.**

**XxXxX**

When Juvia's eyes fluttered open, the first thing she realized was it was sunny. She remembered the feeling, from the day she'd rescued Gray-sama. Yesterday. Was that really yesterday? Juvia stretched out her arms, digging them into the sand, stretched out her legs...

Wait. Her legs?

Juvia shot straight up, ignoring the wave of dizziness that attacked her. She looked down, and grabbed at where her fin used to be, scarcely believing it. She had legs. She was a human. She cried out in joy.

Or at least, she tried. No sound escaped her lips. With a start, Juvia remembered the deal with the sea witch. Ultear's terms had been a hard compromise. Now she only had three days to make Gray-sama fall madly in love with her.

Juvia exhaled, and looked around. She was on a beach, not the same one she'd rescued Gray-sama on. It was longer, and looked more like a real beach rather than just a small expanse of sand. Juvia glanced up, and nearly gave herself a heart attack. There was the castle, sitting right near the water's edge.

_Gray-sama is there!_ Juvia thought wildly, and made to run towards it. But she couldn't take one step before collapsing. Pains shot through her legs, making her dizzy and numb.

Juvia looked down at her legs. Those beautiful, white legs she'd wanted for so long. That was part of the bargain, wasn't it? Pain in her legs until Gray-sama kissed her. Then she would be perfect.

Slowly this time, and bracing herself, Juvia stood up. Stumbling, and clinging to rocks as she went. By the time she made it ten steps, she felt as if she would pass out.

Shaking, she pulled herself up into a sitting position on the rock. There. That was so much better.

"Hello?"

The voice came from behind her. Juvia whirled around, and promptly fell off the rock. She landed in the sand, coughing and brushing hair out of her eyes. When she looked up, she nearly had a heart attack. The man looking down at her was Gray-sama!

His eyes widened. "Miss, are you okay?" He immediately took off his jacket and threw it at her, kneeling at her side. Colour stained her cheeks as she realized she was wearing nothing else. She wrapped the coat around her body pulling it tight.

"What happened to you?" Gray asked. He stood and scanned the horizon. "Were you in a shipwreck? I don't see anything." He looked back down at her. "Who are you?"

Juvia opened her mouth to answer, and remembered she couldn't speak. Instead, she patted her throat.

"Oh, you can't speak," he said, sighing. "Well, I was hoping you could help me answer a question, but I guess you can't now."

Juvia bit her lip. If only Gray-sama would just ask the right question! She could simply nod her head at him. And then he would sweep her up into his arms, and carry her away to his castle, and they could kiss passionately in the sunset...

"...hello? Are you listening?"

Juvia snapped out of her daydream. Gray had knelt down again, and was looking at her like she was crazy. Juvia gulped. She hoped Gray-sama didn't think her too strange.

"Do you have anywhere to go?" He was saying. Juvia shook her head. Gray sighed. "Well then, I guess there's nothing for it. You'll have to come with me. We can get you some real clothes."

He stood and moved to walk away. Juvia tried to follow, but her legs hurt so much that she stumbled. Juvia threw out her hands to stop the fall, and one scraped against a rock. Blood beaded around the small scrape.

In an instant he was at her side. "Are you all right? What happened?" She held out her hand miserable, and gestured to her legs. His eyebrows knit. "You... can't walk?" She nodded. As much as it pained her to appear weak, it pained her more to move.

But then Gray's arms were around her, and she was being swept up off the ground. Juvia dug her fingers into the fabric of his shirt to keep from falling off, and blushed intensely. Then, tentatively, she wound her hands around his neck.

He glanced at her, mouth twisting into a slight smile.

"Boy, you must have really been through something."

xxx

Juvia rolled around in the bed, too happy to care is anyone saw her. It was so warm and fluffy, and her feet didn't hurt while she was lying down! Moreover, the dress she was wearing was lovely, and she stroked the blue fabric again. How mermaids had lasted so long wearing nothing but seashells was a mystery to her.

When she'd awoken on the beach that morning, Juvia had had no idea it was already so late in the day. Part of her felt angry and Ultear-san for wasting so much of three days, but then, the sea witch could have just let her drown. It was a fair compromise, she supposed.

By the time Gray-sama had carried her back to his castle, the sun was setting. It was almost like her fantasy. Except there was no kissing. Instead, he'd offered her clothes and a room to sleep in, and introduced her to his brother. Lyon had seemed particularly infatuated with her, and she's slunk away.

But now, in the quiet of her room with nothing but the flickering candle for company, Juvia let euphoria sink in. She'd really done it. She was in Gray-sama's palace, and she had two full days to make him fall in love with her. Then, the rest of her life to spend with him.

Juvia was so excited that night, she could barely sleep; and when she awoke it was very much tangled in her bedsheets.

The next morning, she greeted Gray-sama with a sunny smile, even though it still pained her to walk. She hobbled a bit, but soon became accustomed to the pain. Gray offered her a tour of his kingdom, and she gladly accepted, eager to spend time with him. Lyon tried to come along, but Gray kicked him off the carriage. (Literally, with a boot to the face.)

The kingdom of Gray-sama was beautiful, Juvia thought, and with each passing minute she was more and more in love. Had she been paying closer attention, she might have seen the look on Gray's face, something like wonder and amusement and a little bit of affection.

But it wasn't until evening that things really took a turn for the better. Juvia had been getting better and better at walking, closing of the pain in her mind. And in the middle of the village square, there was a dance going on. She nearly jumped for joy. Dancing! She'd heard stories that the mermaids would tell, of this strange custom the humans had. But it had always been described as primal and savage, not lovely and entertaining.

Gray was buying some pastries for them to try, but when he turned Juvia had disappeared. He followed the sounds of the crowd to the middle of the cobblestone square, where a dance circle had taken place. And in the middle of it was Juvia, dancing wildly and uninhibitedly, and making the crowds go wild. He couldn't help but smile. She was really growing on him, that girl.

As the music turned slower, people started to partner up. Juvia swayed slowly, a little sad no one was there to dance with her. Her legs were almost numb, but she barely noticed. Juvia found a joy in dancing she hadn't quite felt ever before.

"May I have this dance?"

Gray stood, with his hand outstretched. Juvia, flustered, reached out to take it. He grabbed her and pulled her in for a waltz, and Juvia found following Gray-sama's lead to be the easiest thing in the world.

"I feel really bad not knowing your name," he confessed, as they glided across the floor. "Maybe I could guess it?"

She shrugged. Juvia didn't know how he could possibly guess her name, but it would be fun to let him try.

"All right... Lilith?"

She stuck out her tongue.

"All right, no. How about... Dana? No... Minerva!"

She frowned at him. Now he was just being mean. He grinned to show her he was teasing.

"Jessica? Mimi? Lucy? Julia?"

She snapped her fingers at the last one. "Julia!"

But she shook her head and made a 'V' with her fingers. He frowned. "Vulia?"

"Julvia? Vuvia? Juliav? Juvia?"

She clapped her hands and nodded. "Juvia? That's it?" Gray laughed slightly. "Wow, what a weird name." Seeing the look on her face, he backtracked. "Ah, no! Not weird, um, just odd! Different!" He looked to be searching the right word. "Unique?" He pulled her in tight. "Special."

Juvia's eyes sparkled. Gray gulped suddenly.

"Uh, we should probably be heading back."

Juvia was a little downcast, but not much. After all, she'd had such a wonderful day. And the sun _was_ going down.

That night, Juvia was nearly at peace. Sure, she only had one day left, but if it progressed as well as today had, Juvia didn't have anything to worry about. After all, Gray-sama knew her name now.

Meanwhile, Gray was having an internal conundrum. He couldn't stop thinking about the girl who's rescued him from drowning, which had been bad enough in itself, but now Juvia was flooding his thoughts as well. Memories of her dancing, and her beautiful smile, were near short-circuiting his brain.

Gray groaned, and put his head in his hands.

"Having a bit of trouble, are we?"

Oh, he so did not need this right now. "Go away, Lyon."

His brother sat down beside him. "Love's a funny thing, isn't it?"

"I don't want to hear this from you."

Lyon didn't listen. "She really lovely, isn't she, that girl?"

"Juvia. Her name is Juvia."

"Ah." Lyon leaned his head back and stared at the stars. "Juvia. What a beautiful name for a beautiful girl."

Gray shoved him. What a kind thing to say, he thought. A lot better than what I said. I said her name was weird.

_No, you said it was special_, another part reminded him, but he told that other part to piss off.

"Look," Lyon said, continuing as though nothing was wrong. "I know you're hung up on this mystical lady who saved you from dying and all that, but don't you think she might be just that? Mystical?" Lyon sighed. "And why get so hung up on some fantasy lady when you have such a very real one here with you?"

It made sense, it really did. Gray felt his insides slide down even lower.

"But you know, if you don't want her, I might just be forced to take her."

In the end, that was the deciding factor. After all, Gray couldn't just leave poor Juvia to be taken by his adoptive brother, now could he?

xxx

Ultear was very, very happy.

Things were going exactly the way she had planned. Gray was falling in love with Juvia, and falling hard. It would be so wonderful to watch his heart be ripped out as she took Juvia's soul. Moreover, Princess Juvia herself would be the crown jewel of her collection.

With a horrible, slow giggle, she caressed her crystal ball. "Things are going perfectly, Meredy."

The girl stood in the shadows. Something was twisting in her gut, and she really didn't like it. "This isn't right, is it?"

Ultear blinked. "What? Why ever would you say that?"

"Because it isn't!" Meredy looked like she was about to be sick. "These two are in love! Can't you see? It's cruel, what we are going to do to them!"

Ultear sighed, and draped her arm across Meredy's shoulder. "Darling, don't you know what this is. Gray is evil! Have you forgotten what he did to me?"

Meredy gulped.

"He stole my mother away from me! And my whole kingdom! I was the rightful princess, once," she sighed. "Until my wretched mother cast me away and chose herself a new child. Her precious son, Gray." Ultear sounded disgusted. "I will have my revenge, and after all these years, it's been presented to me on a silver platter! Can't you see how perfect this is, Meredy?"

The girl sighed. Meredy hated herself, even as she did so, but she asked anyway. "What do you need me to do?"

Now Ultear smiled, really smiled. "That's what I want to hear."

xxx

The morning of the third day, Juvia could barely move.

She whimpered as she rolled out of bed. Or tried to, anyway. She still couldn't talk. Was this what humans called 'muscle cramps'? Her legs felt a hundred times worse than before. Juvia had to pull herself with her arms to get dressed.

But as she limped down the hallway, Lyon came speeding towards her. Juvia tried to find somewhere to hide, but he spotted her.

"Juvia! Juvia, come here!"

She inched out. Lyon looked out of breath, and even more out of sorts. "Gray! He says he's getting married! Do you know anything about this?"

She shook her head frantically, and Lyon's face drained of colour. "That's what I thought." He grabbed her wrist. "Come on!"

Juvia's feet hurt awfully as she ran, but Lyon paid no attention as he pulled her down into the foyer. Once the stopped, Juvia had to bend over double to catch her breath again. But she looked up as she heard Gray-sama's voice.

"We wish to be married immediately."

The blow hit Juvia like a punch to the stomach. Because she knew exactly who the woman was. With long, luscious dark hair, and full lips twisted into an evil smirk. It was Ultear the sea witch.

"Oh, Gray, I love to hear you speak so romantically," she said, and Juvia felt another knife twist in her gut. She recognized the voice, and it wasn't Ultear's. It was her own.

Ultear was using Juvia's voice to make Gray-sama think she was the one who rescued him.

Juvia couldn't stay and watch a moment longer. She turned and ran, ignoring Lyon's cries to wait. She ran until she was sitting again on the beach, the beach Gray-sama had found her. Her legs pounded in agony, and she collapsed in the sand, immersed in silent tears.

xxx

It was evening, and the sun was hanging low in the sky, when Meredy came out of the water. Juvia sniffed. The young girl gave her a sad smile.

"Ultear's plan is terrible, isn't it?"

Juvia nodded slowly, wiping her eyes. She couldn't bring herself to trust this girl, not yet. Meredy walked towards her, dripping seawater. "I wish there was something I could do. I don't want to see you become part of Ultear's garden."

Juvia shuddered. The full weight of what would happen finally came crashing down o her. This whole time Juvia had been crying about Gray-sama; she hadn't even begun to think about Ultear's Garden of Souls.

"But wait," Meredy said. "There is something I can do!" From behind her back, she brought out a dagger, Juvia had a suspicion she'd had it there all along. "Take this knife."

Juvia did, tentatively. It was lovely, really, with a glimmering silver blade and pearls inlaid in the handle. She could see her reflection in the blade. Juvia looked up and Meredy, a single question in her eyes. _What do I do with it?_

Meredy smiled. "This is a magic knife, imbued with all of Ultear's powers. You will be free of your bargain if you drive it through Gray Fullbuster's heart."

Juvia gasped, and dropped the dagger. No! She couldn't possibly! Juvia looked back up at Meredy, but the girl was gone. Vanished. Disappeared without a trace, without even a splash in the waves. Juvia's throat constricted and she looked back down at the dagger.

_Drive it through Gray's heart._

Dull pain settled over her, and her face became placid. Well, and why shouldn't she? Gray had stomped all over her heart. Why shouldn't Juvia have her revenge?

So she picked up the dagger and slowly began stumbling back to the castle.

xxx

Lyon paced, worry clouding his handsome features. He knew Gray loved Juvia, he'd said so last night. And he didn't trust this Ultear character. She seemed suspicious. And she bore and incredible resemblance to Ur, the late Queen. Why didn't Gray notice it as well?

Gray, meanwhile, was standing at the altar in the royal church, facing Ultear. His eyes looked blank. Ultear was fighting the urge to laugh horrendously. Things were going according to her ultimate design. In fact, if Meredy did as she was told, Ultear would be expecting another guest very soon.

She stroked the crystal ball in her arms. If any of the nobles questioned her carrying it around, they did not show it. And Ultear was glad. The crystal ball was her one source of power and life.

The doors to the church swung open and a cold ocean breeze flew in. The people turned to look, and gasped. Gray turned his head robotically.

Juvia was standing in the doorway, her hair bedraggled and hanging in her face, her clothes ripped and torn. Her entire body was shaking, and her legs looked like they were about to give out. And clutched in her right hand was the knife.

Lyon gasped and cried out. "Juvia! Don't do this!"

But she didn't listen, merely dragged herself down the aisle to where Gray was still wooden and Ultear was faking fear.

She reached Gray. She raised the knife. He stared at her, unknowing, uncomprehending. The audience seemed too scared to move.

_CRASH!_

The knife fell to the floor with a great clatter, and Juvia collapsed, sobbing. Ultear hesitated. This was not part of her plan. Why didn't Juvia attack? Had she underestimated the power of the girls love?

But then she glanced out the window, and it didn't matter anymore. Ultear threw her head back and laughed. Everyone looked at her, but she didn't care. She had won.

The sun had set.

Instantly, the light returned to Gray's eyes, and he stumbled, looking out-of-sorts. "Juvia!" He gasped. "What – why – did you just try to kill me?"

"Yes, Gray-sama," she sobbed. "Juvia is sorry."

Then she screamed, because her voice had returned to her, and Ultear's maniacal laughter became her own.

"You're too late!" She cackled. "Juvia lost the bargain! And now she belongs to me!"

Gray's face was pale. "What? Juvia, what bargain?"

Ultear rounded to face him. "Don't act like you don't know, Gray!" she spat. "You took my mother away from me! And now I'm going to take away something you love!" She grabbed Juvia's wrist, and the girl screamed in agony as her legs twisted together back into a fin. The crowd gasped collectively.

Gray stared. "Juvia! You're a... mermaid?"

Ultear cackled awfully. "Yes! And she sold her soul to me, just so she could see you! But she couldn't keep up her end of the bargain!" Ultear leaned in very close to Gray's face, and licked her lips. "That is, you didn't kiss her."

And with one final dramatic swoop, Ultear grabbed Juvia and they disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

xxx

Juvia could feel herself back in the cold clutches of the water, and for once, she hated it. Juvia wanted to go back to the sunlight. Back to where Gray was. She tried to swim up, but an iron grip on her wrist stopped her. She looked down in horror to see Ultear dragging her back to her lair.

Juvia looked up. At the surface of the water, she could just see an outline, like a boat. Then something splashed, and she saw Gray diving in after her.

Ultear looked up. "Tch." She let go of Juvia, and pulled out her crystal ball. "I had meant for you to live out your days lonely and bitter like mine," she grumbled. "But now I see you'll just have to be finished off, my darling Gray."

In a split second, Juvia realized what Ultear was going to do. She launched herself forwards, knocking the crystal out of Ultear's hands. The beam of light shot just past Gray, and he let out a startled breath. The crystal fell into Juvia's hands.

Ultear shrieked, but it was too late. Juvia smashed the crystal ball on a rock.

In hindsight, it might not have been the smartest thing to do, because the second the ball shattered, a great storm rocked through the sea and Ultear let out a scream so loud, Juvia could feel her ears beginning to bleed. The sea witch shrivelled up into nothing, but she did not go without a fight. Juvia was knocked unconscious, and she lost all hope of Gray ever surviving.

xxx

Juvia sat on a rock, overlooking the shore. The sea had calmed, and with the destruction of Ultear's magic, her Garden of Souls was free. Juvia had been called a hero, had even been offered back her life as a princess. But Juvia and her father both knew that there were some things you couldn't go back to; and right now, there was only one thing Juvia wanted to do.

Gray lay on the beach, still sleeping. She knew he was alive this time, but could not go over to him. Juvia would not allow herself to feel that kind of pain. She was a mermaid again, this time permanently.

But oh, how she wished she could go to him! He had lost his shirt again somewhere in the sea and the sunlight sparkled off his chest. Juvia marvelled at how beautiful he was.

This, she thought, is how Juvia will spend the rest of her life. _Watching from a rock._

Something glittered in the water, and she reached down to pick it up. It was a shard of Ultear's crystal ball. She almost laughed; maybe Juvia could keep it as a souvenir. Something to remember those three days that changed her life forever.

An idea struck her. What is the crystal still held magic? Slowly, almost daring not to, Juvia closed her eyes and tapped into the magic. She could feel it there, pulsing just out of reach.

_Please,_ Juvia asked the magic. "Please."

The magic must have heard her.

When Gray opened his eyes, he immediately saw that he was back on the same beach. He stood up, shakily, looking around him. His first thoughts were all of Juvia. He didn't know what had happened to the little mermaid, and he was almost afraid of the answer.

"_Juvia!" _He called her name out to the surf. Something bubbled, and he focused his eyes on it. Something was rising up out of the water.

Water dripped down her, making her hair straight and long, and she walked out of the water as simply as walking up the stairs. She smiled at him, and he ran to her, sweeping her up in his arms.

"Juvia!" He cried. "You're alive!" He looked at her appraisingly. "You gave your soul to the sea witch? Just to be with me?"

"And Juvia's voice," she reminded him. "That, too."

"Why?" he asked in wonder. She simply looked at him; both of them already knew the answer.

"I thought you were gone, Juvia," he said.

"Juvia would never leave Gray-sama," she said in return.

He remembered something suddenly. "Gray-sama... it was you! You were the one who saved me from drowning!" He drew her into a kiss so fast, Juvia had no time to think. It was a wonderful kiss, the kind she'd been wanting for so long. And the kind he never knew he could give. "I remember you."

He swept her up suddenly, carrying her bridal-style, all the way back to his castle. Not because she couldn't walk, but simply because he wanted to.

"How did you get those legs back, anyway?"

"Oh... let's just say Juvia has her ways."

_**THE END**_

"_Mo-om!"_

"What?"

" You said you wouldn't ruin this one!" Fern looked upset. Mary Jane rolled her eyes.

"It was a good story, Mama," she said, ever the brown-noser. "But I wanna know what happened to Meredy!"

Mirajane sighed. "Oh, now, that is a good question. Well, some say that when Ultear lost her powers, Meredy lost her ability to breathe in the water and she drowned. But," she continued at Mary Jane's upset face. "Some think she is in the water still, always looking for her Ultear. And there those," she thought of Juvia, "Who think that Meredy is finally free to live the life she always dreamed of."

"What a happy ending," Hugo mumbled in his sleep. The girls all looked at him, and broke into giggles.

"Poor guy was so bored he fell asleep!" Mira laughed. "Well, in that case, I guess tomorrow we'll have to tell him an action story, hm?"

The girls nodded. Mirajane tucked them into bed. "Sleep tight, girls," she whispered.

**XxXxX**

**Aww, so cute.**

**I hope everyone is happy with Mira's kid's names. I picked Mary Jane because it sounds like Mirajane, Hugo for... no reason at all, it's just a cute name; and Fern for the little girl in Charlotte's Web.**

**Tomorrow night's story will include some action for sure, and some romance you don't normally see in this fairy tale. Just in the Hollywood movie adaptions. I'll give you a hint: our heroine is very small, and she's going up against something very big, and **_**very**_** bad.**

**I hope to see you all then!**

**~CCS**


	5. Little Red

**Ooh, glad to see almost no one guessed the tale this time. Hehe. Ah, well, thanks to everyone who reviewed, I love you all so dearly! Please enjoy!**

**XxXxX**

"You promised me an action story."

"Mhmm."

"Little Red Riding Hood isn't an action story."

Mirajane patted Hugo on the head. "Don't worry, kiddo," she grinned. "The way I'm telling it, it's going to be!"

Fern groaned and flopped down on the bed. "Mama, don't tell me you're going to ruin this one, too."

"I'm not ruining them!" Mirajane yelped, laughing as she did. "I'm just, fluffing them up a little!"

The three children looked at her.

"All right, all right," she said, "enough. Just let me tell this one, and if you don't like it, I'll stop. Okay?"

Several half-hearted agreements were mumbled, and Mirajane settled back into her chair. "Right. Now. Tonight's story sets us in a small village on the outskirts of nowhere. Once upon a time..."

_**LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD**_

Once upon a time, there was a small backwards town in the middle of nowhere; a town where all the people were followers of tradition and never thought outside the box. It was the kind of town where, if you were different, you were given an endless amount of grief. It was this small town that gave birth to the one and only Levy McGarden.

As her name would suggest, Levy was the daughter of a gardening family. She had been raised from a child to be an herbalist and horticulturalist, she knew all kinds of different plants and could distinguish what kinds of berries were poisonous or not by the age of seven.

But Levy, unlike her entire family before her, did not want to be a gardener or an herbalist or a horticulturalist. All that Levy ever liked to do was read books, and moreover, to write.

Generally, in this small backwards-thinking town, women did not read. Nor did they write. So Levy, naturally, was branded as an outcast. She carried books around, sometimes so heavy that she would fall over, but no one would ever offer to help her up.

Even Levy's family was disappointed in her. She was not what they wanted in a daughter. The only person who ever showed Levy true kindness was the strange old wise woman in the woods, Porlyusica. There was a rumour around the village that Porlyusica was a witch, and that was why she lived all alone on the East Forest. But Levy loved her, because every time they met, Porlyusica would give her a book; and after a time, began to call her 'Grandmother.'

When Levy was eight years old, Porlyusica did not give her a book, but instead a read cloak with a hood. It was beautiful, And much more luxurious than anything the other villagers wore. Levy loved it so much, that she never took it off.

Levy only had two friends in the entire world. Droy was a gardener too, he worked for Levy's family, so she saw him almost every day. And Jet was the town runner who delivered messages. People whispered that the only reason Jet and Droy befriended Levy was because they were secretly in love with her. But as they grew older, the rumours changed. They became nastier. People began to say that Levy was a witch, that Porlyusica was teaching her, that she had enchanted Jet and Droy. They used her red cloak, and her odd hair colour, to further prove their claims.

By the time she was twelve, the entire village had turned against Levy McGarden. She began to wear her hood up, to cover her face. And people stopped calling her by name. They simple referred to her as Little Red Riding Hood.

xxx

Levy peered out the window, into the still morning air. The sun had risen, but you wouldn't know it, from the gray gloomy skies. A layer of mist covered the ground, almost like a carpet. Levy sighed, and pulled the hood over her strange blue hair. There was a reason for leaving so early in the morning. The less people to see her, the better.

Levy grabbed the wicker basket on her way out. It was stuffed full to the brim with muffins. Levy may not have been the most stellar cook in the world, but she could make a mean batch of raisin and cranberry muffins. And besides, if she didn't bring some peace offering to Porlyusica, the woman would probably chase her out of the house.

In the cool dead of morning, no one was awake. She stepped over Droy's sleeping form. Poor guy, he fell asleep outside again. She contemplated bringing him a blanket, but that would waste time. Levy wanted to be gone before anyone could see her wandering about at this hour.

The East Forest was a scary place to most. The trees were brittle and dry, half of them were dead. The other half showered pine needles on you everywhere you stepped. The fog became thicker, and swirled every time you stepped in it. In fact, almost the entire village thought it was haunted.

Not Levy. Levy was a smart, well-learned girl. She didn't believe in ghost stories. Or ghosts. Or even haunting, for that matter. She only believed in what she could physically see and touch. And the East Forest never scared her because she walked through it nearly every day.

As Levy stumbled through the branches and trees, she thought she heard a strange noise. It sounded like a steady 'thunk, thunk'. In fact, if any normal person had heard it, they would have cowered in fear.

Levy, being the naturally curious type, decided to follow the noise.

The noise got louder and louder as the fog grew thicker and thicker, and Levy grew concerned. Not because fog was scary, but because fog meant she couldn't see and clumsy Levy would probably walk into something.

The noise stopped, and Levy strained her ears, trying to listen for more. Now she really wanted to know what was going on, even if she could barely see.

And then Levy did exactly what she predicted. She walked into something.

The something she walked into let out a sharp yelp, and came into clearer focus. Levy stumbled backwards, pressing into a tree, a small quiver of fear making its way into her heart. The figure was massive, and imposing, at least twice her size. Shaggy, and dark, and wielding a giant axe that glinted in the morning light. But his face remained in shadow. Levy raised her arms shakily in some kind of defense.

"Gihee! I really scared ya there, didn't I, shrimp?"

The figure leaned forward, putting his weight on his axe, and grinning wildly. Levy didn't know if he'd been scarier as a shadow! He had long, spiky black hair, and dim red eyes, like glowing coals. He had piercings all along his eyebrows, and his teeth were a little sharper than normal. Levy gulped.

"Shrimp?"

"Yeah. You know, 'cause you're short."

Anger flared in Levy. Scary or not, this man was insufferable. "My name is not 'shrimp'! And I find it quite rude that you would give me a name like that just because of my height!"

The man settled back. "Oh, well, I'm so sorry. You have my deepest apologies. What is your name?"

Levy flushed. "...Little Red Riding Hood."

The man was off and laughing as he went. Levy chased after him. "But it's not my real name! It's just something the villagers call me." She huffed as she caught up to him. He had a quick pace. "My real name is Levy McGarden."

If it ever struck her that telling her name to a stranger was not a good idea, Levy never once showed. She planted her hands firmly on her hips and waited for a response.

"I like 'shrimp' better."

"Oh!" Levy threw her arms up. "You are an awful person, you know that?"

"Yup."

"Do you live in the village?"

"I have a house in the village, but I don't live there. Why?"

"Well, because most people in the village know me – and don't call me shrimp."

"Well, I don't exactly spend a lot of time there. People aren't really my thing."

"How can people _not _be your thing?"

"Damn, you ask a lot of questions."

"What exactly do you even do out here?"

"I'm a woodcutter." He gestured to the axe. "Duh."

It occurred to Levy how similar this man was to Porlyusica, in some senses. The man hefted the axe over his shoulder and began again to walk away. It also occurred to Levy, all of a sudden, that this man was the only man she'd ever met who hadn't seemed scared of her, or whispered 'witch' at her. "Wait!" She called, reaching out her hand.

He turned his head. "What?"

"What is your name?"

He almost didn't answer. But as he was walking away he called something back to her. "Gajeel. Gajeel Redfox."

"Gajeel," she murmured as he left. The name sounded odd on her tongue.

She started to leave, still a little unnerved by this strange encounter, when a sharp call made her turn back. "Hey, shrimp."

Levy looked at him with wide eyes. He had almost disappeared into the fog.

"Watch yourself out here. I hear there are wolves."

xxx

When Levy finally got to Porlyusica's house, she was thoroughly exhausted. And it was only ten in the morning! How odd that a simple conversation could leave her so drained. She collapsed on one of the plush chairs.

"Who said you could sit there?"

The voice was sharp, but Levy simply waved up. "I brought you muffins."

There was silence for a moment, followed by a sniff. "Yes, that will do nicely." Levy grinned.

She spent most of the day curled up beside the fireplace, reading nearly every book on the shelves. Usually, Levy liked to read non-fiction and historical accounts, but not today. Levy kept going to the few romance novels Porlyusica owned. They were few and far-between, but Levy still found herself being drawn to them.

By the time the sun was hanging low in the sky, and it was time for Levy to go home, her cheeks were so flaming red that she looked like a cooked lobster. Porlyusica raised an eyebrow at her appearance. "Did you have a good time?"

Levy blushed even more, if that was even possible. The conversation with Gajeel the woodcutter was still fresh in her mind. "Um, Grandmother?"

"Hmm?" Porlyusica raised an eyebrow.

"Are there wolves in these woods? I mean, like, not regular ones?"

Porlyusica's face darkened. Levy fell back a step. "Go home, Levy," the woman said; no, commanded. "Don't bring up that subject anymore. In fact, forget you ever said it."

Levy went home that day severely shaken, and that night, her dreams were filled with glowing eyes and gnashing teeth. She woke in the morning covered in a sheen of sweat, tangled in her bed sheets.

xxx

"Excuse me! Sorry!"

Levy pushed through the crowds of people, ignoring their cries of pain and indignation. She had a stack of books from the town library, which was considerably worse than Porlyusica's but at least it had more books.

And more importantly, the librarian was the town gossip and had been more than willing to tell her about the wolves.

"There have been stories for generations," the librarian hissed as she leaned forward. "But you didn't hear it from me, Little Red. It's now a forbidden subject." But the nosy woman looked anything but unwilling to talk.

"Long ago, there was a man bitten by a wolf. The venom of the wolf's teeth invaded his bloodstream, and on the first full moon, he transformed into a hideous beast – a half man, half wolf monstrosity!"

"So he's a werewolf?' Levy asked.

"No, not that. Werewolves change back, you see. This man never did. He remains as that hybrid, even to this day, lurking the woods. And what's worse – he _collects_ others. Kidnaps children and bites them, making them like him. They say he has his own pack now, out there in the East Forest."

So Levy had promptly taken any and all books on wolves that she could find out of the library. There were so many they actually reached over her head. Levy stuck her tongue between her teeth. Maybe taking out this many books was a problem – but now she was curious. Levy needed to know everything she could about wolves.

Especially because something about the librarian's story was bugging her. As far as she knew, wolves didn't have venom in their teeth.

As Levy rounded a corner, her foot landed in some mud and she slipped, falling on her backside with an audible thud. The pile of books fell scattered around her. Levy groaned; the mud was beginning to seep through the pages.

A shadow loomed over her. Levy looked up, shading her eyes. There was a tall, imposing figure standing above her. Levy might have been scared; if she didn't recognize him.

"Gajeel?"

"Way to fall down, shrimp," he said. Levy sighed, and began gathering her books. Gajeel knelt down and started to help her. She looked at him in surprise, he just looked back. "What?"

"Nothing," she replied, fighting back a smile.

When all the books were pulled out of the dirt, Gajeel held out a hand for her. Levy grabbed it, and he pulled her so hard her feet left the ground for a second. Shakily, she found her footing again. _Geez_, Levy thought. _Gajeel sure is strong._

For the first time, he looked at the books. His face darkened when he saw the cover. "So," he grumbled. "Got you started to think about the wolves, did I?"

"Nobody will tell me anything!" Levy argued. "So I just decided I'd find out for myself, thank you very much!" She snatched the books and marched away – or rather marched as best she could with a towering stack of books.

Gajeel wanted to yell out after her, tell her to be careful. He refrained, simply watched her disappear into the edge of the woods. "Dumb shrimp just doesn't listen," he harrumphed.

A small black cat hopped from the fence onto his shoulder. He glanced at it. "Morning, Lily."

The cat meowed, as if to say, "You like her, don't you?"

"Shut up, cat."

**XxXxX**

**I just love Red Riding Hood, it's such a boss movie. Amanda Seyfried is love.**

**So? Who's the wolf? Can anybody guess? Find out next time!**

**~CCS**


	6. Who's Afraid?

**Thank you my lovelies~**

**To dear guest Levina, who brings up a very important point: No, I didn't change it when it was Gruvia, I didn't even think about it. Just forgetfulness on my part!**

**XxXxX**

Levy wandered through the forest, expertly stepping over roots and leaves even if she couldn't see them. It was a testament to how much more comfortable she was in the woods, that she could find her way even with that ridiculous stack of books.

The trees rustled behind her. Levy whipped around, the tower teetering dangerously. "Who's there?"

Silence. Levy strained her ears. Who else but her would be out in the middle of the East Woods? "Gajeel?" she called out tentatively. "Is that you?"

The trees rustled again, and this time they sounded closer. Levy dropped her books, raising her hands into tiny fists. Whoever you are, I can fight!"

Laughter echoed. Levy tensed. The bushed exploded, and something white came flying out at her. She screamed and fell backwards, as the great white shape loomed over her. It was... it was...

Levy blinked. "You're not a wolf."

Something else burst out, and now there were two, standing beside each other. But Levy wasn't scared anymore. In fact she was fighting the urge to burst out laughing.

"You're a chicken!" She pointed to the other one. "And you're - what are you, a goat?"

The goat-man-thing growled. "My name is Yomazu!" he roared. "And this is Kawazu!"

But whatever effect of fear he was going for wasn't working on Levy. She was nearly rolling around , she was laughing so hard. "A chicken and a goat! That's what everyone is so afraid of!"

"I'll give you something to be scared of," the one called Yomazu growled, and lunged towards her. He grabbed at her hair, causing the hood to fall away. With his grimy fingers clutched in her curls, he lifted her up off the ground. Levy screamed in pain, blindly throwing punches. The chicken-man cackled.

"She's so weak!" He proclaimed. "What should we do with her, Yomazu?"

Yomazu was staring at her, anger making his face calm and deadly. Levy glared back sullenly, tears forming in her eyes.

"You know what to do," he said, throwing her on the ground. Levy gasped out in pain as her back collided with a root, but in a second she was up and running away. The two called out in anger, but Levy didn't look back. She ran as fast her legs could possibly carry her. She tripped once, and threw out a hand to stop her fall. Her palm scraped against the ground, leaving a bead of blood behind. Levy didn't stop; she kept running with only one thought in her mind.

_Get to Grandmother's house._

Porlyusica would know what to do. The old woman was smart. She would help Levy.

When Levy reached the old woman's house, she nearly cried in relief. She threw herself against the front door, surprised when it fell open. Warily, Levy searched the house with her eyes. It wasn't often Porlyusica left the door unlocked.

"Grandmother?" Levy called out cautiously.

"I'm up here, dearie," came the reply from the room upstairs. Levy felt her heart leap into her throat. Porlyusica would never call anyone 'dearie'.

They were here.

xxx

Gajeel stepped out of his cottage door, shoving it closed unceremoniously after him. The hinges of the door had been ripped off some time ago, so Gajeel had been entering and leaving his house by means of taking off the door and putting it back.

His little house sat on the very edges of the village, far from where anyone could see him. It was also right along the edge of the East Forest, so he could go out to do his job without ever having to deal with the people of the village. Gajeel lived alone with only his cat for company, he preferred the solitude was only employed as a woodcutter to earn money. One day, and soon, he was going to have enough money to leave the town and never look back.

So it was that morning, after returning home from collecting his month's payment and running into the shrimp, that he was particularly surprised to see an old woman collapsed on his front steps.

She had pink hair straggling down her face from its bun, and sullen red eyes similar to his that glared up at him. She was breathing heavily, and a look of fear was plastered on her face.

"They're here," she gasped, looking up at him. "They are in my house."

"Who is?" Gajeel asked warily, keeping his distance from the woman. "Who are you?"

She didn't answer. "They told me she was coming," she continued, eyes flying wildly. "They told me to get out or they'd kill me." Suddenly she was on her feet, grabbing at the front of Gajeel robes. "They are going to kill her!"

"Who!?" Gajeel shouted, grabbing the old woman's hands. "Who are they going to kill?"

"Levy," she gasped. "My poor Levy."

The colour drained from Gajeel's face. In a second, he'd grabbed the axe leaning on his porch and was leading the old woman towards the woods. "Where do you live?"

xxx

Levy crept through the house, trying her hardest not to make a sound. They knew she was here already; of course she'd had to go and shout at the top of her lungs. But they didn't know that she knew they were here.

Why Levy didn't just turn around and leave through the front door was a mystery; perhaps she was suffering from the affliction all horror movie heroines have. Instead, she raised her voice a little and called up to them, "Why don't you come downstairs, Grandmother?"

"Oh, dearie, I just have a bit of a cold," one of them called in a high-pitched voice. "Would you bring me up something hot to eat?"

"Sure, no problem," Levy replied, reaching cautiously for a fire-poker. Her hand closed around the cool iron. "I'll be right up."

Each stair seemed to creak, as Levy climbed agonizingly slowly. Part of her feared the monsters would suspect her, so she began to talk. "Grandmother, I was so scared out today in the woods. You were right, I never should have asked about the wolves."

"Why?" came the answer. Levy was right outside the bedroom door. "Did you meet them?"

"Oh, yes," Levy murmured. "Big, terrifying monsters. They tried to..." she slid into the room, blanching as she saw the great chicken-monster in her grandmother's bed, wearing her grandmother's clothes. "Well, I don't know what they tried to do to me."

"Oh, dear," the chicken monster said, reaching out a wing like a hand. "Come here and tell me all about it."

Levy held the fire-poker behind her. "Grandmother, what big eyes you have."

"The better to see you with, my dear."

She took another step forwards. "Grandmother, what big ears you have."

"The better to hear you with, my dear."

Levy was standing at the edge of the bed now. "Grandmother..."

"Yes?"

She drew out the fire-poker. "What a huge, nasty beak you have."

Levy lunged for the monster, but something grabbed her from behind, pulling her backwards. She slammed onto the floorboards, the wind knocked from her chest. As Levy struggled to catch her breath, the chicken-beast grabbed her wrists and held her to the ground. The other creature, the goat-beast, was laughing like a madman.

"Oh, it was a good plan," he assured her, rubbing his hands together. "Very well instrumented. We could use a girl like you with us." His smirk widened into a leer. "There's just one little thing you're plan was missing. You forgot the check behind the door."

Levy closed her eyes. What an idiot she'd been.

"And now," the chicken cackled. "You belong to us!"

"Somebody help me," Levy whimpered. "Please."

The window behind her shattered, and the two creatures whipped around. Levy gasped, sitting up in joy.

Almost as if her prayers had been answered, Gajeel was standing on the windowsill, clutching his axe and surrounded by broken glass. He let out a furious roar, causing the chicken-beast to cluck in fright and lay an egg.

"Yomazu!" it shrieked. "What do we do?"

"Fight, idiot!" The goat-beast drew his sword, slashing it through the air towards Gajeel. A word appeared out of the air, and Levy narrowed her eyes in confusion. How had he...

Gajeel merely slashed with his axe, and the words shattered in the air. "What?"The goat-beast cried. "Kawazu! Now!"

The chicken-beast picked up the egg it had lain, and lobbed it at Gajeel. The other yelped, and nearly fell off the window when it exploded in his face. "Gajeel!" Levy cried. Angrily, she jumped on the chicken's back. "How dare you!"

With another roar of fury, the woodcutter leapt forward, swinging his axe. It cut straight through the goat-beast, causing it to fall dead to the ground. The chicken-beast, filled with fury for its companion, threw Levy off its back and charged towards Gajeel. She hit the wall hard, spots dancing in front of her eyes.

Levy vaguely heard the sounds of a fight, another explosion and another slash of the axe. She also thought the heard a thunk, then two boots stood in front of her.

Levy cringed, pulling back into the wall. She could barely see. _The monsters are here to get me_, she thought wildly.

But when the figure knelt down in front of her, it was only Gajeel. Looking at her with worry in his eyes. "Are you all right, shrimp?"

Filled with relief, she threw herself into his embrace, and he caught her unsteadily. "Thank you," she sobbed. "Thank you for saving me."

"Um, yeah," he said, looking flustered. "No problem."

"How did you know I was here?" She asked, looking up at him with teary eyes. He flushed and looked away.

"Actually, that was your grandmother. She came to me for help."

Porlyusica was waiting outside. In a rare show of affection, she hugged Levy tightly. But only for a second; she pushed Levy away straight after and straightened her clothes. "Well, I told you not to go sticking your nose where it doesn't belong."

Levy giggled. Porlyusica turned to Gajeel, who was standing awkwardly a little ways away, trying surreptitiously to clean the blood off his axe. He stood at attention, though, when Porlyusica faced him. "As for you, young man," she folded her arms. "Thanks to you, the forest has now been rid of the so-called 'wolves' that would torment it." She nodded. "For that, I believe the entire village owes you a great debt."

Gajeel coloured. "Oh, no – it wasn't really-"

"Will this do?" She held out a palm full of glittering coins.

"Holy shit," he said eloquently.

Levy clapped a hand to her mouth to keep from laughing out loud.

"But this-" Gajeel was completely speechless. "This is – enough to-"

"To leave this town and never look back? Yes, I believe that would do it," Porlyusica answered, tilting her chin in the air. "It does sound like a good plan. I always wish I'd have done it. But when you're too old, you're just too old. But if you're young..." her voice trailed off. "Well, the world is just an invitation to endless wonders."

As she walked back to her house, Porlyusica came to lean towards Levy. "He's a fine man, that woodcutter," she murmured. "You don't meet one like that every several hundred years." She walked off, and Levy could have sworn she heard, "Believe me, I've looked."

Levy looked back at Gajeel, who was sitting down on the ground, staring at all the money. She walked up beside him, plopping herself down on the ground. Her red cloak billowed around her, and Levy realized for the first time that the hood had fallen down.

"Your hair is a nice colour," he said to her. She smiled slightly. No one had ever told her before that her hair was nice. But then, there were a lot of things Gajeel had done that no other person would do.

There was a book lying on the ground. Levy picked it up, looking wondrously at the cover. "Solid Script," she said out loud. "Hey Gajeel, look! It's what that goat-man was using." She sighed. "This is _real _witchcraft."

Gajeel nudged her. "Ready to make all those town rumours about you come true?"

"Stop it!" she teased, shoving him half-heartedly. He caught the side of her face, and kissed her lightly. Levy's eyes widened, possibly to the size of dinner plates, and when Gajeel broke off he snickered.

"Gihee, you look pretty funny there, shrimp."

That spring, Levy, Gajeel and his cat hopped on the back of a wagon and left the village forever. No one knows what happened to them, although rumours fly around every once in a while. Is Levy really a full-fledged witch with a black cat familiar? Can Gajeel really turn his arm into an axe? Are they travelling the world together, living life to the fullest and seeing all the endless wonders the Earth has to offer?

One can only hope.

_**THE END**_

"Okay!" Mirajane snapped the book shut. "How was that?"

"Oh, my gosh," Fern sighed, leaning back against the headboard. "That was _sooo _romantic."

"I wish _I _had a woodcutter to always come and save _me_ like that," Mary Jane said blissfully, closing her eyes. "That's what I'm dreaming about tonight."

"EW." Hugo stuck out his tongue. "You two are gross."

"Well," Mirajane sighed. "I suppose that's the end of my stories, huh?"

"Maybe you can read another one," Fern said sleepily. "Just one more."

"Yeah," Mary Jane yawned. "Just one more."

Hugo snored.

Mira smirked lightly. "Just one more it is."

**XxXxX**

**Don't worry, there's more than just one more headed your way.**

**I totally made you think the wolf was Gajeel, didn't I? *dances a victory dance***

**But Kawazu and Yomazu seriously need to be flaunted more. I mean, come on! The guy is a chicken! Literally!**

**The next story is a fairy tale-turned-ballet, and out little ballerina is going to be a beautiful maiden of the sky. Hmm? But who is her prince? Find out next time!**

**~CCS**


	7. The Nutcracker

**Yeeup, pretty much everyone guessed it. Wendy and Romeo. :D**

**XxXxX**

"Mama, it isn't Christmas Eve. It's the middle of September. Why are you telling us a Christmas story?"

Mirajane sighed and patted her daughter on the head. "Darling, just because the story takes place on Christmas Eve, doesn't mean it can only be told on Christmas! After all, if we only told these stories on Christmas, we'd start to forget how they went!"

Mary Jane huffed, and slid down the headboard. "Well, okay, but if you ask me, it's not going to have the same effect."

"Now then." Mira settled into her rocking chair. "Once upon a time, on a certain Christmas eve..."

_**THE NUTCRACKER AND THE MOUSE KING**_

Once upon a time, on a certain Christmas Eve, in a small town where the snow had yet to fall, there was a small house where the Christmas tree was a few sizes too big. The tip bent when it reached the roof, leaning to the side because it could not quite fit comfortably.

The little girl stared up at the tree, giggling. "Grandine, why did you get a tree so big?"

The woman stared down at her daughter. "Because, darling Wendy, on Christmas you need to have the biggest tree you can possibly find. It doesn't matter if it doesn't fit!" She picked Wendy up and tickled her, while the other laughed uncontrollably. "Why, did you want a tiny tree?"

"No!" Wendy squealed.

A knock echoed on the door. Wendy bounced over, already knowing who it was, and threw open the door. "Macao!"

The older man smiled down at Wendy, kissing her cheek roughly. "Merry Christmas, you," he said warmly. He nodded at Grandine. "Nice tree you two have."

"Thanks," Grandine replied cheekily. Macao rolled his eyes, and tossed something at Wendy. "Here. I made you something."

Wendy squealed. "Oh, thank you, Macao! I'll go put it under the tree!"

Macao Conbolt was well known through the town for being the most mysterious man. He was an older fellow, with a scratchy mustache and dusty blue hair. His profession was questionable; what he really did for money was unknown. Bu what Macao Conbolt was best known for was making dolls. The most beautiful, realistic, precious dolls anyone had ever seen. And this was why Wendy was so excited when she received a gift from him.

Not to mention, Macao gave Wendy special treatment because he was her godfather.

As the small family of three sat around the fire, singing carols, dusk began to fall. Shouts of children playing outside filtered through the thin windows.

"Wendy, didn't you want to go out and play with the other children?" Grandine asked, glancing down at her daughter. Wendy shook her head.

"There's no snow on the ground."

Grandine sighed inwardly. She loved Wendy, ever so dearly, but sometimes she worried for the poor girl. Twelve years old, and yet she never wanted to leave the house. Wendy had no real friends, it seemed. She stayed inside and played with dolls, or read books, all day.

Sometimes, Grandine wondered if Wendy really belonged in this world.

So she patted Wendy on the head, and said, "All right, here's the bargain! You may open one present tonight!"

Wendy squealed in happiness. "I'm going to open Macao's!" She cried, dashing forward to rip open the small blue present.

Inside was a plain wooden box, and when Wendy opened it, she gasped in pure delight. "Macao! Oh, he's beautiful!"

It was a nutcracker doll, with wispy white hair and a dark blue soldier's uniform. His face was painted in bright, jewelled tones, and his eyes seemed to really be alive. Wendy twirled around in pure joy. "Oh, thank you, thank you! What's his name?"

Macao smiled at her. "That's for you to decide, little lady."

Wendy contemplated, tapping a finger on her chin. "I don't know," she said, finally. "It needs to be something perfect. Like, the name of a romantic hero." Suddenly she snapped her fingers. "I've got it! _Romeo!_ Just like the play, oh it's perfect!"

Grandine laughed, and looked over at Macao. "My, she has quite the imagination, doesn't she?"

Macao didn't answer, a small sadness gleaming in his eyes.

"I'm going to show my friends!" Wendy called, running out the door before either could stop her.

Outside, among the cold streets of dusk, the kids were rolling tires down the alleys. Wendy skidded a little, coming to a halt just outside the circle of children. "Look, everyone! Look what Macao gave me!"

In an instant, all the girls had surrounded her, cooing over the nutcracker. "His name is Romeo," Wendy proclaimed proudly, and all the girls sighed. "So romantic," one said. "Like 'Romeo and Juliet!" Another cried.

Angel, the village bully, came striding over. "Oh, a nutcracker?" She asked, sticking her nose in the air. "Well, that's all right, I suppose. Does he crack any nuts?"

The other girls were glaring at Angel; they didn't like her much. But Wendy stood up to her. "I haven't tried yet," she said stiffly, "but I would imagine since he is a _nutcracker_, he can."

A few girls snickered, and Angel sniffed. "Well then, ask your dear Romeo if he can crack this nut for me."

Never one to back down from a challenge, Wendy grabbed the nut and cracked it easily. A small round of applause went around, and soon Romeo was being passed around, cracking all kinds of various nuts.

Angel didn't look too happy that her plan had backfired. So when the doll came to her, she pulled out a nut that anyone could see was too big.

Wendy gasped. "Angel, don't! That one isn't going to work!"

"And why not?" Angel teased. "Oh, come on, Wendy. Are you scared?"

She pressed down hard, and a loud crack echoed through the square. Wendy screamed; the crack had not come from the nutshell. It had come from Romeo's jaw, which was now broken and useless. Tears filled her eyes. "You broke him, you broke Romeo!"

Angel shrugged. "Oops." She didn't look sorry at all as she dropped the nutcracker on the ground. Wendy choked back a sob. The other girls backed away a bit, as Wendy cradled the doll to her chest. "What did you do?"

Angel scoffed. "He was an ugly doll anyway."

Wendy turned and ran, all the way back to her house , slamming the door behind her. As she leaned against the doorframe, loud sobs began to wrack her body. Grandine rushed over, sweeping her daughter into a hug. "What is it, Wendy? What's wrong?"

"They broke him," Wendy wailed. "They broke my Romeo."

Grandine sighed, looking at the broken doll. His jaw was unhinged, hanging loosely. "Oh, darling," she said, stroking Wendy's hair. "I'm sure Macao can fix him."

Wendy looked up, sniffling. "Yeah?"

"I promise he will. But he's gone home for tonight, he'll be back tomorrow morning."

"Okay." Wendy murmured, wiping tears off her face. "I'm going to bed. 'Night, Grandine."

"Goodnight, darling," the lady murmured, kissing Wendy softly on the forehead.

That night, Wendy did not curl into bed as she usually did, but instead sat in a fort made of sheets. She cradled Romeo in her arms, staring at his broken jaw. "I'm sorry Angel did that to you. She's a very mean girl. I wish there was something I could do to help."

Glancing down at her nightgown, Wendy realized that there was in fact something she could do. Quickly, she unlaced the ribbon on the very top. It was a light sky blue, thin silk ribbon, and without it her nightgown flapped open at the collar. Deftly, Wendy used the ribbon to tie Romeo's jaw together again. "There," she proclaimed, satisfied with her handiwork. "That will work until Macao comes back!"

And she put him in her cupboard, staring at him through the glass doors. For a moment, his face seemed to come alive. Wendy started, but thought that it was just her imagination. She drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

xxx

In the corner of Wendy's room, there sat a grandfather clock, made for Wendy by Macao when she was five. Wendy's room was in fact littered with toys made by Macao. Not just various ballerinas and tin soldiers, but things like snow globes and trains and jewellery. There were even a few castles in the back. Over the years, Wendy had gathered a veritable city.

As the clock hand neared midnight, Wendy began to stir in her sleep. Yawning, she opened one eye blearily; she was so tired the little girl honestly couldn't tell if she was awake or dreaming.

With one half-closed brown eye, she watched the clock hand tick slowly towards the _12._ Just as it reached the carved number it seemed to stop. Wendy narrowed her eye. Were her eyes deceiving her, or was there a little man sitting atop the clock, keeping the hand from reaching midnight?

Was that... was that _Macao?_

Wendy sat up so quickly her head buzzed. Squeaking was coming from beneath the floorboards, and she recoiled in horror as mice began to crawl up through the cracks. But these were no ordinary mice, Wendy realized with a sickened heart. They were wearing clothes – uniforms, almost, with little hats and jackets with epaulettes. Wendy watched in disbelief as the mice formed army ranks at the right side of her bedroom, facing the small city of Macao's toys. At the head of the party was a strange-looking white mouse, larger than the rest, with a lofty crown sitting in his head. There were purple markings all along his skin, and he carried not a sword but a staff with a small mouse skull sitting at the top, surrounded by colourful feathers.

The Mouse King, as Wendy subconsciously dubbed him, raised his staff. Four other mice flanked him, each one looking a little different than the rest. One was clad in a racer uniform; one had a snake coiling around him. One was sitting on a floating carpet. One even looked to be made of blocks.

The sound of marching caught Wendy's attention, and she whipped around to see the dolls in her cupboard and along the floor come to life. The tin soldiers formed ranks matching the mice, and at the head of the army – Wendy felt her heart dip. Was that her Romeo?

But he didn't look like a Nutcracker anymore. He was young and had short dark hair. His uniform remained the same, and his eyes were the same dark painted colour. But he certainly wasn't a nutcracker anymore.

Wendy watched in undisguised amazement as Romeo drew his sword, small fire lighting up along the blade. The doll army charged the mouse army, and Wendy gasped as Romeo clashed with the Mouse King. Even though she believed herself to be dreaming, Wendy couldn't help to fear for Romeo's life, The Mouse King was much more powerful, and Romeo was falling back.

Romeo fell on the ground. The Mouse King raised his staff, preparing to drive the hilt into Romeo's chest. Wendy couldn't take it anymore. Dream or not, she couldn't bear for her Romeo to be hurt. She reached down and snatched her slipper from the floor and chucked it. Her aim was impeccable, and it nailed the Mouse King right on the head. He squealed angrily, falling over, and the sound was so loud Wendy could feel it ringing in her ears. She fell over in a dead faint.

xxx

When Wendy awoke, it was not on her own, but by someone shaking her arm. Her eyelids fluttered open, and she gasped to see a face directly above hers. Wendy reached forward smacking the face, and squirming back. The figure standing over her yelped, and Wendy looked from between her fingers.

What she saw caused her heart to skip a beat. It was Romeo as she'd seen him with the dark hair and young face, wearing his soldier's clothes. Only he was life-size. As in, he was _real. _Wendy gasped lightly. "Romeo?"

"Why'd you hit me?" He asked, sounding for all the world like a petulant child. "I was only trying to thank you for taking out Brain."

"Who?" Wendy asked in confusion, still very shaken.

"Oh, I guess The Mouse King is his proper title," Romeo rubbed the back of his head. He threw a hand down. "Need a hand up?"

Wendy grasped it, not ignoring the thrill of electricity that shot down her arm. As she shakily found her feet, she managed to voice her questions. "What – who are you? Where am I?"

He bowed. "Prince Romeo, at your service." He grinned at her then. "And you are in the Land of Sweets. Home of the Sugar Plum Fairy. Safe from the Mouse King, too, that's a plus."

Wendy sat right back down. "Land of Sweets? What?"

"Oh, I'll explain," Romeo said, pulling her up again. He began to walk, carelessly pulling Wendy along. "The Land of Sweets is a small part of the Doll Kingdom, and it's ruled over by the Sugar Plum Fairy in the prince's absence. My absence, I guess."

"Okay," Wendy murmured, feeling a little dazed and confused. But, since she figured it was just some very strange dream, why not play along?

They came across a river, which was so blue Wendy nearly shielded her eyes. But Romeo pulled her fingers away. "Beautiful, isn't it? Come on, we've got a boat waiting."

It wasn't much of a boat. Actually, it was a nutshell. But what made Wendy gasp in delight were the two dolphins harnessed to the front. They clicked happily as she ran up to them, running her fingers along they're smooth noses. "Oh, they're wonderful!"

"Aren't they?" Romeo was grinning widely. He tickled one under the chin. "They'll be taking us to the Sugar Plum Fairy's house."

Romeo hopped in the nutshell boat, extending a hand to help her in. For a girl wearing nothing but a nightgown with the collar open, she sure felt like a princess.

The wind blew through their hair as they rode down the river. Wendy dipped her fingers into the water's surface, and laughed in delight when the water splashed up warm and bubbly. Dunking her whole hand in, she thrilled in the way it tickled her skin.

The scenery slowly became more and more beautiful. Before, the trees had been nothing but regular trees. Sure they had thicker trunks and brighter leaves, but green trees nonetheless. Now, as they entered the Land of Sweets, they changed to candy floss trees with candy cane stems. The ground was covered in powdered sugar, and to Wendy it looked just like snow.

They pulled up to a dock, Romeo once again holding Wendy's hand and helping her out. As they walked hand in hand down the chocolate streets, Wendy once again marvelled at how handsome he was. Even though he couldn't have been much more than a year older than she, he had grace and charm and something sweet about his face. He was really just like a prince from a fairy tale.

Blushing, Wendy locked her arm through his. He looked down in surprised, colour staining his cheeks, but his face grew into a wide smile and he pulled her closer.

They reached the castle, and Wendy was once again struck speechless. She was getting oddly used to the feeling. The Sugar Plum Fairy's palace was made entirely of sparkles. Everything glittered, from the walls to the windows to the turrets, and even the bright pink flying buttresses. But what was even more amazing were the dozens of fairies that twinkled as they flittered in and out of windows.

Romeo burst open the doors, striding in. Wendy could not keep her eyes of the fairies. They were small, maybe the size of the palm of her hand; and brightly coloured. This one had flowing golden locks and was dressed from head to toe in yellow, she landed in Wendy's hand and waved at her with bright brown eyes. And this one – he was a boy, but he had bright pink hair! And over here, a tiny fairy with blue hair was sprinkling sparkles all over books.

They reached the throne, and now Wendy was really amazed. Romeo dropped to one knee, and Wendy followed suit. The lady spoke, and her voice sounded like tinkling glass.

"Prince Romeo. Welcome back, my darling."

The fairy was stunningly beautiful; full-sized, not tiny like the others. She was dressed in a pink and dark red ballerina's dress, with ribbons cascading from everywhere. Her hair was long and flowing, the colour of spun sugar. Her eyes were sky blue, like the colour of the river. From head to toe, she was decorated in glimmering sugar plums.

"Mira!" Romeo cried happily, throwing himself into her embrace. She wrapped him in a tight hug, squeezing him close to her. "Mira, I'm so glad to see you!"

"And I you," she replied, smoothing the hair back from his forehead. "And I see you've brought us a guest?" Her eyes found Wendy. Romeo jumped down.

"Mira, this is Wendy. She helped me defeat the Mouse King earlier. In fact, if it weren't for her," Romeo looked at her bashfully, "I might have lost the war altogether. Wendy," he bowed, presenting her formally at last. "This is Princess Mirajane, the Sugar Plum Fairy."

Mira clapped her hands together. "Why, she is a hero!" The fairy declared. "And she must have a hero's welcome! Everyone, let's have a feast!"

Wendy didn't know how long she stayed in the land of sweets. With the help of her new fairy friends, she dressed herself up in a beautiful silk gown, and they braided her hair through with pink and red ribbons. She met the little yellow fairy from earlier, who called herself Lucy the Lemon Fairy.

She danced with Romeo all night, along with all the other fairies. But Romeo and Wendy were the only ones on the ground. The fairies twirled in the air overhead, trailing fairy dust that landed in Wendy's hair. She watched them for a bit as well, various bright couples dancing across the ceiling. She caught sight of Lucy in the arms of the pink-haired fairy, and sent her a grin and a thumbs-up.

Later in the night, they entered an auditorium with plush red velvet seats and a magnificent stage. As she sat comfortably, Mirajane came onstage and began to dance. It was the most graceful, elegant and dazzling thing Wendy had ever seen. And considering what she'd seen that night, that was saying something.

As the Sugar Plum Fairy entertained her audience, Wendy caught sight of a few whisperings. "She dances so much better than Princess Pirlipat," followed by "Sh! That's blasphemy!" followed by a "What? It's not like she can hear us."

Wendy leaned towards Romeo. "Who's Princess Pirlipat?" She asked quietly. His face darkened.

"Someone that I was once supposed to marry." He sighed. "But she was a phony princess." He pulled out a small picture frame from his pocket. "Would you like to see her?"

Wendy nodded, and looked at the picture. The girl looked the same age as them, with frosted white hair and cold eyes. Wendy furrowed her brows. Why, the girl almost looked like...

"She looks like Angel," Wendy mused.

Romeo looked at her sideways. "Funny, she always demanded we call her that."

Wendy leaned on his shoulder. "I'm glad you aren't going to marry her anymore," she said sleepily, lost in the lull of the music. Mirajane began to blur as Wendy closed her eyes to sleep. She might have been dreaming it, but she thought she felt soft lips press against her cheek.

"I'm glad, too."

**XxXxX**

***sugar overload***

**Tell me I'm not the only nearly-grown woman who still has fantasies about The Nutcracker sweeping me away to the Land of Sweets and making me a princess. PLEASE tell me.**

**Mixing the ballet in with the original fairy tale, for several reasons. The original fairy tale didn't have The Sugar Plum Fairy, for one. And I needed to change the story in the fairy tale just a bit, and it fits in nicely with the ballet. And I like mixing things. It's like making fairy tale potions~!**

**Until next time!**

**~CCS**


	8. Fall of the Mouse King

**Did EVERYONE watch the newest episode? Did everyone see the preview for next week's episode? I genuinely can't even contain my excitement, gaaahhhh~**

**XxXxX**

Wendy awoke blearily, with sleep caking her eyes. It was Christmas morning, and yet the rush of happiness for once wasn't from Christmas excitement. It was the memories of last night, flooding back.

She sat up straight in her bed, eyes glancing around wildly. How did she get back? Oh, but not that it mattered; now that Wendy knew magic existed nothing could really surprise her. Wendy expected to see the flanks of dolls still scattered across the floor, or the cupboard door hanging open, some remnant of last night's great battle on her bedroom floor.

Nothing.

Disappointment welled in Wendy's gut. Had it all been a dream? Really? Everything had seemed so vivid, she'd been sure it was all real. She wandered out of bed and across the floor. All of Macao's dolls were in their rightful place. She realized with a heavy heart that Romeo was still standing where she'd left him, with his jaw tied together with a ribbon. He looked like a real nutcracker again.

Wendy stumbled back. No. There was no way she'd dreamed it all. Something – _some_ part of it – had to be real.

She stumbled over something on the floor. Wendy glanced down half-heartedly. It was her slipper, lying on the floor and split and the heel from where it hit the Mouse King.

Wendy sat down hard. She picked up the slipper, staring at it in awe. "It was real," she whispered.

Then she was flying down the hall, banging on the walls. "It was real! It was real, it was real, it was all real! Everything was real!" She skidded into the parlour, where Grandine was sipping tea with Macao. Wendy bounded over to them. "Romeo! He's alive, he's a prince, he took me to his kingdom!"

Grandine looked at Macao in surprise. "Wendy, what on Earth-"

"And he fought the Mouse King! And he was almost defeated, but I helped!" Wendy waved her slipper around. "I threw my shoe at him! I defeated the Mouse King! I'm a hero, Mirajane said so!"

"_Wendy!" _Grandine slammed her tea down on the table. "Stop this at once! I will not have you making up stories in my house!" She stood up, towering over Wendy, before sweeping away. Wendy watched her go, tears welling in her eyes.

"But..." she whispered tearfully. "I'm not making it up!"

Macao sighed, and patted the couch next to him. "Come sit next to me, child. It's time I told you a story."

Wendy sniffled, but crawled up to sit beside Macao. "A story?" She asked, wiping her eyes. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"You'd be surprised," he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Alright, here's how it starts.

"Once, there was a kingdom called the Kingdom of Dolls, where everything that was small could live in harmony. That included dolls, fairies, songbirds, and mice." He smiled and Wendy's expression. "Yes, the mice were a great royal family, lead by a man named Brain. He was also called the Mouse King, by his subjects. He ruled alongside with the king of the dolls, whose name was Macao."

"You..." Wendy started, but Macao held a hand to silence her.

"This king had a son named Romeo, Prince of the Doll Kingdom. And the Mouse King had a daughter named Pirlipat. Princess Pirlipat. But she was very spoiled, and naughty, and demanded people call her Angel."

Wendy sat up. "Wait, I saw a picture of Pirlipat, or Angel, or whoever. She didn't look like a mouse."

"Ah, you forget, child." Macao waved his hand. "This was a land of magic, where the mice were the same size as the people and the daughter of a mouse could very well be a doll if her mother was one."

Wendy nodded, mesmerized. Macao continued. "To combine the two families, Prince Romeo and Princess Angel were engaged to be married. But The Mouse King didn't want just joint rule. He wanted full power over the entire magical kingdom.

"Now, one night, this Princess decided to sneak into the royal pantry, and eat some of the lard the King was planning to have at his banquet feast the next night. She took the lard back to the Mouse palace, and ate it. The King was enraged by her behaviour, and in a fit of anger, set great mouse traps all over. When The Mouse King's family was caught in it, he became so unhappy that he punished his daughter by turning her into a nutcracker.

"Angel felt she was so hideous, she ran to the doll kingdom and begged the King for forgiveness. He forgave her, but that did not lift the curse. The King consulted many wise men, and the answer they came up with was this:

"The princess must eat the magical nut Crackatook; which must be cracked and served to her by a man who had not shaved nor worn boots since birth. This man must hand her the kernel without opening his eyes, and then take seven steps backwards without stumbling.

"The King looked everywhere, far and wide, for this man, but he did not seem to exist. After a month of searching, he returned home, exhausted, to find the answer right in front of him. His own son, the Prince Romeo, who had never shaved nor worn boots since his birth.

"Romeo cracked the magic nut easily, and presented it to Angel with his eyes closed. She ate it, and was at once transformed back into her beautiful self. Romeo began to walk backwards, but on the seventh step, he fumbled, and fell down. The curse immediately rebounded to him, casting him with the appearance of a nutcracker. Angel, upon seeing him, refused to marry 'something so awful-looking.' The kingdom was plunged into war the next day, with the Mouse King leading the attacks."

Macao finished his story with his head in his hands. Wendy reached forward tentatively, patting his back. "It's all true, isn't it," she mumbled. "The whole story."

"Yes," Macao said, defeated. "Thanks to my folly my son is forever cursed."

Wendy stood up angrily. "That isn't fair!" Then she looked around wildly. "You have to find Grandine! Tell her I wasn't making anything up!"

A smile teased at Macao's lips. Poor sweet Wendy, always wanting to be truthful. "I'm afraid your dear mother will never believe you," he said, not unkindly. "She used to believe in stories, you see, but after none of her dreams came true, she stopped believing in magic."

Wendy frowned. "Wasn't I a dream come true?"

Macao laughed then. "You should tell her that."

He left, and Wendy closed the door behind him. Something awful was tugging in her gut. The fight with Grandine, the despairing look in Macao's eyes, the pain of knowing the boy she might have loved was forever cursed. Wendy felt terrible. And it was Christmas, for heaven's sake.

She went back to her room, standing in front of the cupboard. Romeo was staring blandly out, large nutcracker teeth and unhinged jaw.

"I forgot to ask Macao to fix you," she said. "I'm so sorry, Romeo."

Then she collapsed on the floor. "I'm sorry!" she sobbed, a flood of tears suddenly rushing from her eyes. "I'm sorry I can't save you! I'm sorry your kingdom is breaking! I'm sorry Grandine will never believe in you!" She curled up on the floor, becoming a mess of sobs. "I am so, so sorry."

She stayed like that until the tears dried. An hour had passed, she noticed, glancing at the clock. An hour spent crying uselessly.

"I'm going to go apologize to my mother now," she told Romeo. "And tell her I love her. It's Christmas, after all." Romeo stared back at her with dead eyes. She sighed. Maybe he really was just a painted piece of wood. Maybe he couldn't hear a word she was saying.

Couldn't hurt to say anything, then.

"I love you too, Romeo. I wish we could be together, even if you did look like a nutcracker. I wouldn't care. I wouldn't be like Pirlipat, or Angel, or whoever she is. I would love you, Romeo. Just as you are."

At that moment, the grandfather clock chimed, and the cupboard doors shattered in a great cascade of falling glass, and Wendy threw up her arms in defense. As she stumbled backwards and hit the floor, her head took a rather nasty hit and she fell unconscious.

xxx

Light was streaming through the windows when Wendy awoke. She sat up in bed, and the first thing that she noticed was the cupboard doors were intact. Wendy frowned. She thought they'd shattered. Then she noticed that the ribbon on her nightgown was back. Then she saw her slipper, sitting nicely on the floor. She picked it up. The heel had not split.

Then Wendy realized that all of her toys, every single one Macao made, was missing.

She ran full speed to her mother's room, tears spilling out of her eyes. She couldn't believe it. This had to be a dream. Where were all of Macao's toys? Where was Romeo?

She looked all over the house for Grandine, and finally found her sitting in the parlour. The lady smiled at her. "Merry Christmas, darling."

Wendy gaped. Then she sank to the floor, unable to find the words. It was Christmas morning? But, hadn't she already been through Christmas morning? Hadn't she spent it crying?

A knock sounded at the door. Numbly, Wendy watched as Grandine stood and walked out of the room. Wendy's ears were ringing. She was still trying to understand what had happened.

"Wendy, look who's here! It's Macao, and he's brought a guest!"

She started at Macao's name. So, he really did exist. Her entire life wasn't just a fantasy. But then, where had all her toys gone? Slowly, she made her way to the door, where Macao was standing next to a young boy who looked so familiar Wendy nearly fell over.

"Wendy, please say hello to Macao's son, Romeo."

She was shaking from head to toe. "Hello, Wendy," Romeo said, and his voice held such familiarity. In that moment, Wendy knew. He remembered. He knew who she was. Prince Romeo was real, alive, himself, and standing right in front of her.

To say she jumped on him would be an understatement.

"But – how?" She cried joyfully, as Grandine stared in shock. Romeo laughed and hugged her tightly.

"It was you, Wendy. When you claimed to love me, despite my curse, it was broken." His smile was better than any lit Christmas tree. "It turns out that was all that was needed."

Wendy looked at Macao, who was standing straight for the first time since she met him. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Macao smiled gently. "I couldn't, child. You needed to say it on your own, to really mean it. No help from anyone else."

Grandine finally found her voice. "Macao, what is going on here?"

Wendy looked up at Macao, and he nodded, smirking a little. She turned to her mother with a flourish. "Grandine, may I please introduce to you, His Royal Highness, Macao, King of the Doll Kingdom. How's that, Miss I-Don't-Believe-In-Magic?"

Wendy revelled in Grandine expression. She looked, for lack of a better definition, like she'd been slapped in the face with a cold fish.

Romeo pulled Wendy away, while Grandine and Macao spoke in hushed tones. "Wendy, I have something I need to ask you. I know that you love me, and you must know I love you back."

She was trying to keep cool, but inside poor Wendy was melting. She simply nodded, as Romeo continued. "With Pirlipat gone, the kingdom needs a princess. Something tells me you fit the bill." He held out a hand to her "What do you say? Will you marry me someday?"

Wendy didn't answer, but threw her arms around Romeo. She didn't realize Grandine and Macao had been watching the entire thing, or else she might have been too embarrassed to do so.

Macao came up behind her, placing a hand on the shoulders of both children. "Wendy, what my son also forgot to ask is if you will accompany us back home? To the land of dolls?"

Wendy started to say yes, but stopped. "I don't want to leave Grandine."

"Oh, nonsense." Grandine appeared behind her. "Of course I'm coming with you, child. You're much too young to be getting married yet, and you need someone to keep a close eye on you. Besides," her tone held a hint of playfulness. "I am very much inclined to meet this 'Sugar Plum Fairy.'"

The four of them walked through the town square out to the road, where a magnificent white carriage was waiting with four brilliant white horses. It might have been Wendy's imagination, but it looked exactly like the horse-and-carriage set Macao had made her years ago.

Macao walked ahead, escorting Grandine like a real lady. Romeo and Wendy tagged a little behind, arm in arm and talking joyfully about all the places they would visit. First things first, Wendy decided, they needed to visit the fairies again. Wendy hadn't eaten nearly enough sweets the last time she was there.

Almost as if the power of love drew them out, little children gathered to watch them leave. They stared at Romeo in awe. Wendy supposed it was because he was so handsome. She didn't notice, much.

But as he helped her into the carriage, she did notice one thing. Among all the crowds of girls and boys watching, nowhere did she catch sight of Angel.

Funny how those things worked out.

_**THE END**_

Mary Jane was giggling so hard she nearly fell off the bed. "Serves her right!"

"Who?" Fern inquired, looking up at her sister. Mary Jane poked her in the stomach, and Fern giggled.

"Angel. I mean, Pirlipat. I mean, whoever she was."

Mirajane sighed at her children. "Well? How was that one?"

"I liked the Sugar Plum Fairy," Hugo shouted from his fort beneath the blankets. "Hey, mama, can we go to the Land of Sweets?"

Mirajane kissed them all soundly on the forehead. "Not tonight, darlings."

"What'll you read us tomorrow night?" Mary Jane asked, refusing to let her eyes droop.

"Cinderella!" Fern yelled, half asleep. This was followed by a chorus of _'no!'_ Mirajane patted Fern on the head.

"A princess story, at least," she promised.

It wasn't Christmas Eve, but that night visions of sugar plums danced in all the children's heads.

**XxXxX**

**Did everyone like it? :D:D:D**

**Anyways, for all you Fairy Tail/fairy tale crossover fans, I hope I'm giving you some good ideas.**

**Our next story is indeed a princess story, but she's a very snarky princess. Turns people to stone of she gets upset. And she sure isn't Cinderella, that's for sure. Which princess is she? Find out next time!**

**~CCS**


	9. The High Maintenance Princess

When Mirajane entered the room, she was more than a little surprised to see all three of her children sitting cross-legged on the bed, smiling complacently and waiting for her. She raised an eyebrow, then the other. "Are you three all right?"

"We're super okay!" Mary Jane nodded.

"Like a man!" Hugo added, and Mira resisted the urge to face-palm.

"Uncle Elfie said if we were really good you'd tell us a story about him," Fern explained, seeing the look on her mother's face. Mira grimaced.

"Did he, now?" She sighed, sitting on her rocking chair. "Well, you can tell 'Uncle Elfie' that I'm not telling stories about the guild, I'm just reading what the books tell me."

They stared at her. She huffed. "Oh, alright! Fine! I'll tell you one about Uncle Elfie." She opened the book, the page resting on a picture she recognized instantly. Her lips curled into a smile. "Time for a little revenge, brother..."

"Hm?"

"Nothing, dear. Now, once upon a time..."

_**THE PRINCESS AND THE PEA**_

Once upon a time, there was a very high-maintenance princess. She had such high standards, that everything had to be perfect or else she'd throw pottery at you. She also knew a little magic, and was rumoured to turn people into stone if they really made her mad.

This princess's name was Evergreen.

She was a lovely princess, really, with long flowing brown locks and eyes like melted chocolate. Even if her cheekbones were a little severe, she was generally regarded as 'beautiful.' That is, before people met her. Anyone who knew Evergreen personally, see, didn't like her one bit.

At the current moment, she was seated on her throne, legs crossed and staring coldly down on a servant. He was shaking in his boots, kneeling a little ways away from her, eyes firmly on the ground. He gulped audibly. Evergreen raised an eyebrow loftily.

"So..." she started, and he flinched. She twirled a strand of hair around her finger. "You did what, exactly?"

"I-I-I-" his stutter was barely concealed within his fear. "I j-j-just w-wanted to-t-to trim the r-r-rose-b-bushes, m-my l-l-l-lady."

"Oh," she said sweetly. "You just wanted to trim the rosebushes. Isn't that nice, Freed?" she asked, glancing sideways at her attendant. He had a slight twinkle in his eye, although his face was stoic; he knew what was about to happen.

Glasses glinting, Evergreen turned back to the trembling man. "I have my rosebushes trimmed every day by the same man, do you know why that is?"

"N-n-no, my lad-dy."

"That is because I like my rosebushes. And I want them to be perfectly shaped. In the _exact shapes_ I like." She sat back a little. "You have disrupted the balance of my Fairy Garden. For this, I believe great punishment is in order."

The man gasped. "No! Please, my lady, I only meant to please you-"

He never finished his sentence. Evergreen raised her glasses, and within seconds the man had turned to stone. She waved with her fan, gesturing for Freed. "Please remove him from my sight immediately," she sighed, bored again. "Ever notice how people seem to lose their stutter right before they die?"

Freed didn't answer, he and Bixlow were too busy straining to remove the statue. She rolled her eyes.

Thus went another typical day in Evergreen's kingdom.

Meanwhile, in a neighbouring kingdom, things were not going so normally. A fight had broken out in the town square and as usual, the prince was right in the middle of it.

"Come out and fight me like a man!" he roared, beating on his chest. The other fighters jumped at him, and the four were lost in a scuffle of fists and dust.

The two princesses of the kingdom watched with undisguised contempt. Lisanna was laughing nervously, and Mirajane had her face buried in her palms. "Why?" she moaned. "Why does he feel the need to do this?"

Lisanna patted her sister on the back. "Maybe he just has to get some rage out, sis..."

His opponents defeated, Elfman stood up on the table and raised his hands in the air. "I am the _man!"_ he shouted so loudly the glass windows reverberated.

Later, however, as Mirajane dragged him back to the castle by the ear, he was shrieking and complaining like a little girl. "Ow, ow, owowowowow _please_ let me go!"

"No," Mira growled, looking positively furious. "You're supposed to be the Crown Prince! Not to mention, you need to find a bride!"

Elfman pouted. "I don't _want_ to find a bride. It's not _manly._"

"I don't care if it's not manly!" Mirajane threw him into the castle. "Now, get dressed, I have more girls to present to you!" She slammed the doors. "And put on a shirt this time!"

Elfman sighed, and dragged his hand down his face. "Not manly..." he grumbled, and flinched when Mira shouted _"I heard that!"_

One shirt and three bottles of hair gel later, Elfman was groomed to his utmost best and sitting uncomfortably on his throne. Mirajane had plastered on a sweet smile, as she greeted the long line of 'princesses' entering the throne room.

Elfman sank a little lower in his seat. Each of the ladies flashed him a grin, and he tried not to glare at them. He knew exactly what they were up to; scheming, devious women who only wanted to marry him for his money. Their kingdom was the richest in all the land, and it only made sense that old noble families low on money would parade their daughters as princesses and demand they get married.

A few of them had more of a grimace than a smile. Elfman had a feeling they wanted to be doing this just as much as he did. He resisted the urge to growl; it was _not manly_ to force a lady to do something she didn't want to do.

Mirajane presented each princess as she stepped forward. "The Princess of Ludgadblastia!" She announced. Elfman winced. It sounded more like the name of an attack than a kingdom. Really, people were starting to just make things up.

"The Princess of Paradisiano!"

And so the parade went on.

xxx

Evergreen yelped, slamming her hands against either side of the carriage as they hit another bump. Her hair was starting to escape its fancy updo, and she angrily shoved strands back into place. They hit another particularly deep pothole, and she fell over sideways. _"Hey!_ Watch where you're going!"

She stuck her head out the carriage window, and the driver feared for his life. But Evergreen seemed to realize that if the turned someone to stone while they were driving they just might crash. So instead she yelled out, "Remove head from sphincter, _then_ drive!"

The driver shuddered. Unfortunately, this startled the horses, and they rain over another pothole. _"Aiee!"_

It was at that moment several horses clopped up beside the carriage. The driver narrowed his eyes at the black-clad riders, hiding their faces. "Who are...?"

Evergreen heard only her driver shout "Bandits!" and the slice of a sword before silence. The carriage ground to a halt. Still lying on the floor of the carriage, she angrily picked herself up and threw open the doors.

"All right, that is it-"

She gasped and stumbled backwards. Her driver was slouched in the seat with his head lobbed clean off.

Several black clad figures on horses burst through the underbrush, circling her like vultures. "Well," one of them hissed. "What do we have here? A lovely little lady, huh?"

"Little!" Evergreen cried indignantly. "Little! How dare you speak to me in such a way! I am Her Royal Highness, Princess Evergreen!"

The circle of bandits laughed. "A princess!" The speaker leaned forward on his seat. "I'm sure she'd got enough gold to last us a while, then!"

"Of course I do." She brushed off her shoulders. "And perhaps, if you'd simply asked nicely, I'd have given you some. But since you resorted to banditry, I'm afraid I'll have to kill you all."

Now they were in stitches. Evergreen turned up her nose. These fools, obviously they didn't know who she was. Well then, Princess Evergreen would just have to give them a lesson, wouldn't she?

In a flash, the lead bandit hopped down from his horse and grabbed Evergreen by her wrists. As he pulled her body close to his, the surrounding bandits began to whistle and cheer. He leaned so close she could smell the onion on his breath. "You won't be killing us, Princess," he sneered. "Not until we're done with you, at least."

Horror pooled in the bottom of Evergreen's stomach. So that's what they wanted, huh? She dipped her head low, shaking her head slightly. The bandit laughed. "Giving up already, Your Highness?" He didn't see the glint of her glasses as they fell to the ground.

Evergreen raised her head. "Goodbye," she said simply.

In a flash, the bandit had completely turned to stone. The whistles and jeers turned to shrieks of terror, as Evergreen cast her gaze on all of them. In seconds, she was surrounded by stone statues.

Evergreen wrenched her hands from the stony grip, causing the man's hands to shatter. She felt no sympathy. That's what they got, anyway. After all, hadn't she told them so?

She picked up her glasses from the ground. Huffing, she saw that one of the lenses had cracked. But seeing as she couldn't very well walk around without them on, she slipped the broken glasses on her face. "I'll just have to buy a new pair," she grumbled to herself.

And now she was stuck in the wilderness! She didn't know how to drive a carriage, and her driver wasn't exactly going anywhere. Evergreen searched the compartments for a bit before coming upon a sack of gold. "Ah, this will do nicely!" She exclaimed. The she swung the bag of gold over her shoulder and started to walk.

xxx

Evening had fallen over Elfman's castle, and he was busy escorting the last of the phony princesses out the door. The skies had clouded over and rain was falling heavily, so most of them pulled out fancy umbrellas and parasols to stop the water from ruining their hair. (Although, the ones with parasols were swiftly disappointed.)

He shoved the door shut behind the last of them, and turned to face Mirajane. She was glaring at him. He cowered, shrinking back into the doorframe. "What?"

"What do you mean, _what?_" Mirajane was furious. She stomped off down the hall, and Elfman was quick to follow. "I busted my butt trying to get all those princesses down here! And you have all the decency of a_ rhinoceros_ and just made them all leave!"

"It wasn't that easy," Elfman whined quietly, running fingers through his hair. It had long since escaped it gelled confines and was springing all over the place. Mirajane pinched him, and he snapped his arm back. "Why is it so important I get married, anyway?"

"Because you are a prince!" Mirajane hissed. "Because you need to need to! Because – just – _because!_" she exploded. "What was wrong with all those other princesses, Elfman?"

"They aren't real princesses," he said under his breath. Mirajane raised an eyebrow. She was about to question him when a commotion at the front doors caught their attention.

"I'm sorry miss, but we can't just let beggars in-"

"Beggar!? Who is it that you think you are talking to!" The woman standing in the doorway spoke like royalty, but she certainly didn't look like it. Her hair was long, bedraggled, and soaking wet, and her glasses were cracked. Not to mention, her dress had been ripped along the knees and was caked with mud.

Elfman and Mirajane came to stand behind the guard. "Who are you, then?" Mira asked. The woman raised an eyebrow, and drew herself up to her full height.

"I am Her Royal Highness, Princess Evergreen; and no matter what this stupid guard tries to tell you, I am a real princess."

**XxXxX**

**I didn't like Evergreen in the beginning, but she's grown on me so much~ And she's fun to write!**

**Elfman, not so much. I'm pretty sure he's drastically OOC, but whatever.**

**The Princess and the Pea is really hard to write for since the story itself is about five sentences long. But I hope I'm doing an all right job!**

**See you next time!**

**~CCS**


	10. Twenty Matresses Deep

Evergreen sat in the most plush chair she could find, right by the fire. She was stretching her arms out, trying to dry them. Elfman was watching her, and trying not to be seen watching her. She squeezed out her hair and a few drops ran out. The firelight glinted off her glasses, and Elfman wondered absently why she was still wearing them if they were broken.

"So." Mirajane stood, her arms crossed, glaring down at Evergreen. "If you're a princess, why are you wandering around our kingdom looking like this?"

"I was on a carriage ride," she said, "and my ride was ambushed by bandits."

"Ambushed!" Elfman stood up, nearly knocking over the table as he did. "What? That – not manly at all-"

"Oh, relax," Evergreen waved her hand. "I took them all out easily. But them my carriage driver was dead and I was completely lost, so I just walked to the place most likely to take me in." She frowned. "Took me half the day, though."

"You took out all the bandits?" Elfman asked.

"You thought the _castle_ was more likely to take you in?" Mirajane said sceptically.

"Well, I am a princess, aren't I?" Evergreen flipped her hair over her shoulder. "And yes, I did take them all out. I have magic powers. Which is why I'm still wearing my glasses, if you were wondering."

Lisanna entered the room. "I've just spoken with the servants," she said politely. "They say we have a room Miss Evergreen can sleep in tonight."

Before Evergreen could comment about 'Miss' – _"you will address me as 'Her Royal Highness'"_ – Mirajane stood and clapped her hands. "Excellent," she smiled. "Brother, dear, would you see the princess to her room?"

"Which room?"

"You'll find it, dear."

As they were leaving the room, Elfman pulled his sister aside. "What are you trying to do, sis?"

Mira smiled sweetly. "Brother, don't you see? You claim you can't marry anyone but a real princess and poof! Someone shows up at our doorstep proclaiming to be a real princess."

Elfman wiped a hand down his face. "Sis, you meddle in people's lives too much... this is so unmanly."

"Nevertheless," Mira hissed. "Your princess awaits." And she gestured to Evergreen, tapping her foot impatiently.

Oh, yes. This was going to be fun.

xxx

The torchlight glimmered on the stone walls of the castle as Elfman led Evergreen down a hallway. The windows all sat open, the after-rain breeze blowing through their hair gently. It was an awkward kind of silence in which they walked. Where Evergreen spent the whole time studying her nails and Elfman stared at his feet.

"So..." he started, then cursed himself for sounding so dumb. "Uh, how exactly did you take out all those bandits?" He heard Evergreen sniff. Part of him felt a little annoyed; who said she could act so snobby?

"I turned them all to stone," she said, shrugging her shoulders. "Or, my eyes did, anyway. They have that power." She spoke with such a lazy arrogance, it made Elfman's blood boil.

"That's not how real men fight!" he shouted, rounding on her. "That's – that's like the Medusa way of fighting!"

"Well, I never!" Evergreen stamped her foot. "How dare you! Why, if it weren't for my so-called 'unmanly' magic, I wouldn't be here right now!"

"Maybe that's an okay thing!" Elfman yelled back, and he realized they'd come nose-to nose in their argument.

Blushing, he pulled his head back. "Your room is this way, My Lady."

Evergreen stepped through the doorway, surveying the room with distaste evident on her face. The bed was mahogany, with a towering canopy and green silk covers. In the corner stood another, smaller room with a sink and ivory tub full of steaming hot water.

She sighed heavily. "Well, I suppose it will do for tonight."

"_Do!?_ My servants worked hard to prepare this room for you, show some gratitude!"

"Isn't yelling at a lady 'unmanly'?" Evergreen shot back, her eyes cruelly teasing. Elfman bit back a _'what lady?'_ and instead crossed his massive arms.

"What is there to your unliking, man?"

Evergreen coloured. She gaped like a fish, evidently not used to being called 'man'. Shaking her head, she crossed her arms to match his pose and stuck her nose to his. "Mattresses," she said. "I want more of them."

"How many?" Elfman growled.

"Twenty," she said, and seemed to get some delight in how his face went slack with shock. "Twenty goosefeather mattresses."

xxx

That night, Evergreen tossed and turned in bed. It wasn't that she didn't like her mattresses – in fact, she revelled in how soft they were. And she was completely clean – soaked in a three hour bath, her hair smelling like lemons and roses and pine forests, all thanks to the castle's bath salts.

No, there was something else keeping Evergreen awake. There was something poking her back.

She tossed to the left, and for a moment the jabbing ceased. She sighed in contentment, stretching out - but there it was again! Something sticking into her right side.

Annoyed now beyond words, Evergreen sat up and began descending the ladder to the ground. She would find a servant so locate the source of the jabbing and if he couldn't find it, stone him. Literally. Her bare feet hit the floor with a cold slap, and she immediately stepped into slippers. Something white flashed past the window, and she stuck her head out.

"How strange," Evergreen murmured to herself. Why was Elfman sneaking out of the castle?

Forgetting her intent of fixing her bad, she hopped out of the window and moved to follow him, nightgown flowing in the breeze.

He checked behind him a few times, and Evergreen had to duck into an alley quickly. Halfway through she wondered why exactly she was following him, and started to go back, but curiosity always got the better of her and she continued on.

She followed him all the way into town, where he entered what looked like a really rowdy bar. At first, she hesitated at the thought of following him in. Especially when the sounds of a fight broke out. But, once again, curiosity turned her head and her feet and she found herself standing in the doorway.

Elfman, along with three other men, were wrestling around on the ground, and most of them had lost their shirts in the scuffle. Spectators were banging their drinks on the table, cheering for various people. Evergreen definitely heard Elfman's name being called, along with bets called across the room.

One man caught sight of her standing there, and gave her a wolf whistle. "Hey gorgeous! Coming to join the party?"

Evergreen sent him a look, but Elfman stuck his head up, and grinned. "Oh, come to watch me fight, have you, Ever?"

She flushed. "Don't call me Ever!"

But she took a seat at a table to watch, nonetheless.

Later, when the fight was done and Elfman declared the winner (yet again, it seemed) he came to sit beside Evergreen. She was sipping at a drink, and watched him in interest as the chugged an entire boot full of the stuff.

"Isn't that bad for you?' She asked, one eyebrow arched. Elfman shrugged.

"I'll fight it off later," he said, cheeks flushing as the drink hit his system. "Like a man."

She rolled her eyes dramatically. "What's with you and saying 'man' all the time?"

"It's manly," he slurred, and grinned at her. She stifled a giggle.

"I take it your sisters don't know about all this," she gestured around her. Elfman shook his head, and shouted in pain as someone's empty mug hit him in the back of the head. As he dove into the fray for another battle, Evergreen settled back and took another swig. This could be a long night.

xxx

"So why aren't you being forced to get married?" Elfman asked, leaning heavily on his mug and staring at Evergreen. "I thought all royalty had get married by a certain age."

"Naw, your sister is just crazy," Evergreen waved her hand lazily in his direction. He swatted it away, mumbling incoherently about his sister being manly. Evergreen started giggling uncontrollably and fell off her seat.

"Oh, that was most unladylike," she said, using the table to pull herself back. "Apparently I can't hold my liquor."

"'Parrently not," Elfman hoisted her to her feet, grinning widely and nearly falling over himself.

Evergreen plopped down. "Well, if you must know," she said. "I refuse to get married. I don't want some man coming and taking over my kingdom. I'm quite capable of running it myself."

"I believe you." Evergreen blinked as Elfman downed another mouthful. "I think you'd be the manliest ruler," he said. "And you don't need any financial help, do you?"

"'Course not!" Evergreen yelled indignantly. "Did I not just say I was capable of running my own-" she spilled her drink down the front of her nightgown, and swore colourfully. Elfman choked, and she glared at him. "What. Never heard a lady swear before?"

"It's a very manly thing to do," he confessed.

"Well, now I have to go back," she sighed. "I can't very well be walking around like this!"

Some stranger who stank of booze leaned on their table. "Sure you can, dollface," he slurred to Evergreen, leering down at her. Elfman punched him in the face.

Before another bar fight could break out, Evergreen got unsteadily to her feet. "Goodnight, Elfman," she proclaimed. "I have to go back to my incredibly uncomfortable bed, I was going to ask someone about that..."

Elfman waved a hand at her. "I'll walk you back."

She scoffed. "You can barely stand!"

"Neither can you, woman," he replied, gesturing to her shaking knees.

So they stumbled out of the bar together, clinging to each other for support. Evergreen was glad she was a little tipsy, or else she would have made a bigger deal about Elfman's shirtless body, or that he called her woman. But, as it was, she simply clutched tighter.

xxx

The next morning, Evergreen awoke to sleep in her eyes and something sharp jabbing into her back. Frowning, memories of the night before came flooding back and she remembered how she'd been too tipsy to bother telling anyone about her discomfort. In fact, she'd had trouble climbing the ladder and Elfman had needed to lift her up.

She flushed at the memory. But rather than be stuck in an uncomfortable bed, Evergreen slid down the ladder and pulled a clean dress off the racks.

The royal family had gathered at the breakfast hall, and stood when she entered. Elfman had a black eye and Mirajane was glaring at him, Evergreen covered her smile with her hand. Lisanna, noticing the tense atmosphere, turned to Evergreen. "So, did you sleep well last night, Your Highness?"

Evergreen noticed Mirajane sitting up a little straighter. Deciding to ignore it, she stuck her nose in the air. "It was nice enough, I suppose, but there was something sticking into my back the whole night through."

"Really?" Mira leaned forward, looking curious. "What was it?"

"I don't know." Evergreen eyes her suspiciously.

"Why don't we go find out?" Lisanna tried to placate. "Come on, Elfman."

The four traveled back to Evergreen's room, Elfman nursing his throbbing head. But he smiled at Evergreen, and she looked away pointedly.

Upon entering the room, Mira lifted the mattresses – all _twenty _of them, Evergreen felt her jaw drop in shock – and pointed to something small. "Was that the problem?"

It was a tiny pea, sitting under the bed exactly under where the pain had been. "That's it!" Evergreen cried. "That's exactly what it was!"

Mira dropped the mattresses with a loud clash and clapped her hands. "Well, that settles it, then!"

"What?" Elfman, evergreen and Lisanna all blinked.

Mira giggled. "Evergreen must really be a real princess."

Elfman turned to face his sister. "Don't tell me..." he groaned. "You put the pea under there as a test?"

Mirajane chose not to answer, instead winked at them all. "I guess now you have no reason to reject Evergreen's proposal, then?"

Evergreen felt all the blood drain out of her face. "Wait, I didn't say anything about... I don't want to marry anyone! I want to rule my own kingdom!"

"And you will!" Mirajane nearly had stars in her eyes. "You can rule your kingdom all by yourself and Elfman can rule this kingdom! And we'll simply combine our wealth and everything will be hunky-dory!" She floated out of the room, already spewing wedding ideas. Lisanna followed, rubbing her head in her hands.

Evergreen glanced at Elfman, who was standing rigid with a bright red face. She could feel her own cheeks heating up. "So..."

He looked at her, and the thought crossed her mind that maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.

"Well, I have to go talk to your sister before she tries to plan my entire wedding for me," she sighed. Elfman gaped at her. "What? You thought I was going to refuse?"

He opened and closed his mouth several times. "Ever, you..."

"Don't call me that!" She snapped. She stomped to the door, but at the threshold, turned to give him a wink. "We'll sneak out again tonight, no?"

He straightened and saluted, steam pouring out of his ears. "Yes, man! Sneaking out is manly!"

She walked away, not even bothering to hide her laughter this time.

Yes, this could turn out to be very good after all.

_**THE END**_

"What? That's it?" Fern was standing shakily on the bed, hands on his hips. "They didn't even kiss!"

Mirajane closed the book, setting it on the shelf. "Not all stories need to have a kiss, my dear," she said. "Sometimes laughter is all you need."

Hugo crossed his arms. "Yeah, right! Uncle Elfman says kissing girls is not manly."

Mirajane could only sigh.

"Tomorrow night, can you tell us a story about you?" Mary Jane murmured, eyes closed. Mirajane stroked her forehead.

"I'll save the best for last, darling."

**XxXxX**

**Nope, no kissing for Elfman and Evergreen. The real reason? I have no idea what it would look like, ha.**

**Next week, my crack ship rears its ugly head. So be prepared! This beautiful princess is about to kiss a really ugly frog! As in, **_**really**_** ugly!**

**But find out next time ;)**

**~CCS**


	11. Golden Balls and Kissing Frogs

**So, I've been doing some research, and apparently my crack-ship isn't as cracky as I originally thought! People out there do actually enjoy Lisanna/Bixlow! (So much happiness~)**

**But again if it's a little too weird for you please feel free to skip, haha.**

**XxXxX**

"Mama?"

"Yes?"

"Why do people in the guild keep calling you scary?"

Mirajane sat down in a huff. "People call me scary?"

"Yeah, Uncle Gajeel called you 'Demon Woman' yesterday."

She choked. "He – _what?_" Mira gasped. "Oh, no he didn't! How dare he call me that! And – and teaching you such words-"

Hugo patted her hand. "It's okay, Mama. You should hear what Uncle Gildarts taught me to say."

Mira covered her son's mouth with her hand. "I don't want to hear it," she grumbled.

Fern and Mary Jane were giggling at the whole thing. Mira narrowed her eyes at them. "What are you two all smiley about?"

"Nothing, Mama." Mary Jane nodded sagely. "We would like you to read us a story now."

Fern and Hugo nodded excitedly. Mira sighed, and flipped open her book of fairy tales. Read tonight, tomorrow... bloodshed. "Okay, all right. What's on the menu for tonight?"

Her eye caught the illustration, and yet again, an idea struck her. Why had she never thought of this before? Why, it was simply perfect! Maybe there wouldn't be bloodshed in the guild tomorrow... maybe just some matchmaking...

"Mama, you look really scary..."

"Hush dear. Now. Once upon a time..."

_**THE FROG PRINCE**_

Once upon a time in a faraway land, there was a princess who was very, very bored. It wasn't that she was unhappy; quite the opposite. She had an older brother and an older sister who were very capable of running the kingdom, and because of that there was never a shortage of money or food. But, because they were so capable... the princess never had anything to do.

The only source of entertainment the bored princess found was in her golden ball, that she liked to throw. It bounced off walls, and she would often find herself throwing it against the castle walls in the garden and catching it as it bounced back.

One day, she was laying on her back in the gardens, playing her one-sided game of catch. Clouds were blocking the sun from shining, making the day seem rather dull and grey. Rain was threatening to fall, and the young princess knew her sister would want her inside. But a little rebellion might do her some good, she thought.

But as the ball came flying back towards her, she didn't quite catch it. It slipped just out of her reach and bounced away down into the garden.

The princess lunged for it, but she tripped on her heavy skirts and fell short. She watched helplessly as the ball rolled down the grassy slope, hit a rock and flew into the air, and smacked the surface of the pond with a loud _plop!_

And sank.

The princess groaned in despair, trudging down the hill. She'd never been so far into the gardens before, and had certainly never been to the pond. The surface was glassy and smooth, marred only by the ripples and bubbles from where her ball had hit. But underneath, the water oozed murky, inky black in colour. She touched a finger, and recoiled when it came back slimy.

"Ew..." she groaned. "Oh, that's awful."

She sat down in a small huff. Great. Now her only source of entertainment was gone, and she was unlikely to ever get it back. Her days of boredom were doomed to get even worse.

Her eyes focused on a green frog sitting on the edge of the pond. No, he was more of a toad, she thought. Brownish green in colour, warty... oh, but there, he stuck out his tongue to catch a fly. That was definitely a frog. Tilting her head to the side, she watched the frog for several minutes. He was floating on some small, round pieces of wood that had faces carved into them. The princess bit her lip in thought. That was rather odd, wasn't it?

The frog turned to look at her, his eyes bright, green and inquisitive. And very, _very_ bright. Why they were so bright, they almost seemed to be glowing. She frowned at the frog, and he narrowed his eyes back at her.

"Are you gonna stare at me all day, girlie?"

She screamed, and nearly fell backwards into the pond. One hand came down, and it splashed into the water. Shrieking even louder, she pulled her hand up and crawled up the hill. Shaking wildly, she pointed a finger at the frog.

"Oh, my gosh – you, a frog – you just – oh my – you _talked_-"

"Yup," The frog said very calmly. "I do that. Blame it on the sorceress." He rolled his eyes, and the princess nearly fainted. Frogs can't _roll_ their _eyes_. "Witches be crazy."

"What?" The princess managed, her voice barely coming out as a squeak. "Who – what are you?"

The frog hopped over to her, and she scrambled back. "I'll make you a deal," he said. "I'll tell you what I am... if you kiss me."

Now she really did fall over. "Kiss you? Why would I do that?"

He shrugged. Because now frogs can shrug. "Kiss me and I'll tell you."

She put her hands on her head. "I must have hit my head really hard," she murmured. "I'm hallucinating. That's it."

"Hate to tell you this, princess," he said. "But this ain't no hallucination. Right, babies?"

The small chunks of wood he'd been sitting on earlier tittered in reply. A small shudder passed through the princess' body. "What are those things?"

"My babies!" The frog yelped. "And don't insult them!"

"Okay." She began to rock back and forth. "Okay, this is just getting way too weird for me." She stared at the little frog, actually _big_ frog, who looked like he wanted to kick her. "What's your name?"

"Bixlow," he answered. And her brow furrowed. "What? Never heard of a guy named Bixlow before?"

"Guys maybe." She cracked half a smile. "Frogs, not so much."

He stuck his tongue out at her. A fly flew straight into it, and he sucked it back in with delight.

"I'm Lisanna," she said finally. "Princess Lisanna."

"Oh ho, so you _are_ a princess!" He hopped up into a large rock to come face-to-face with her. "I was beginning to wonder. Your manners are terrible!"

Lisanna smacked him, and he fell off the rock with a yelp. "Babies!" he screeched. "Help me!"

They twittered, but didn't move. Bixlow grumbled. "Oh, I forgot. Stupid witch cursed you, too."

"_Lisanna! Come inside!"_

The young princess heard her sister's voice calling faintly from inside the castle. "Oh, I have to go," she said. Bixlow blinked up at her, and she felt oddly downtrodden at the thought of never seeing him again. For no apparent reason, because she'd only just met him two minutes ago and he'd scared her half to death. "Will you be here tomorrow?" She asked, before logic could get the better of her.

He shrugged again. "Sure. I live here, don't I?"

Lisanna grinned widely at him. "Good!" And she took back off towards the castle.

Bixlow watched her go, an odd look on his froggy face. After so long, he'd given up on finding a princess to kiss him, but...

"There's no harm in hoping, right, babies?" He snickered, hopping back towards the pond.

**XxXxX**

**Yeah.**

**Every time I watch the Little Mermaid; the scene where Ursula accidentally kills Flotsam and Jetsam, and says "Babies! My poor little poopsies!" Yeah... always makes me think of Bixlow.**

**(I've scarred myself forever)**

**Review if you like LiBix! Until next time!**


	12. I Love You, Evangeline

**Thanks guys, I'm so glad this was well-received :)**

**XxXxX**

Lisanna was having a hard time pretending she wasn't excited to go to the garden. After dinner with her family last night, followed by several tedious princess duties and staying up late reading fairy tales, she'd finally grown accustomed to the idea of a frog who could speak. Not to mention, she'd asked her sister about witches and enchantments. From what her sister said, the idea was very much possible.

Now she practically skipped into the garden, humming to herself. Bixlow was waiting for her, lounging on his back and kicking the water with one webbed foot. "You sure look different today," he said when she arrived. "Are you going to smack me again?"

"I've finally accepted the fact that talking frogs exist." She grinned at him. "And no, I won't smack you again today."

"Good to hear it." He flicked some water at her face, and she squealed. "It hurt!"

Lisanna sat down in the grass beside him, folding her hands. "So, I was wondering," she asked sweetly. "Do you ever go swimming in the pond?"

He glanced at it. "Yeah, all the time. Why?" He looked at her suspiciously. "What do you want from me?"

She shrugged. "Nothing! Well, I was just wondering if maybe..."

"Stop mumbling!" Bixlow snapped. "Whataya want?"

"I dropped my ball in the pond yesterday and I'd really like it back!" She shouted in one rushed breath. Then she breathed in deeply, and looked at Bixlow with wide eyes. "Please?"

He gave a heavy and dramatic sigh. "I suppose," he drawled. "But what do I get in return?"

"My eternal friendship and gratitude?" Lisanna offered. Bixlow opened his mouth to say something else, and she interrupted. "I'm not kissing you!"

"I didn't even say anything..." Bixlow mumbled. Lisanna smiled widely at him. "Fine!" he snapped. "You got a deal. But you better hold up your end!"

She giggled as he dived beneath the surface. "I will."

xxx

From that day forth, they were the best of friends. Maybe it was strange that a princess spent all of her time sitting in a garden with a talking frog, but Lisanna's family was so busy they never noticed her absence.

They talked about everything, from Lisanna's childhood to how Bixlow had been before the curse. Lisanna loved to hear him tell stories. About the fights he'd been in, and the adventures he'd had with his so-called 'babies'. She learned he was something of a magician himself, just not strong enough to break his own curse. He even called himself a prince at some points, although Lisanna herself doubted this particular fact.

"So who was it, this crazy witch who cursed you?" Lisanna inquired one day.

"Oh, that's a long story," Bixlow heaved a sigh. "You don't want me to get into it."

"Oh but I do!" Lisanna sat up. "I've been dying to hear about how you came to be a frog from a prince."

"Okay. It goes like this: I was on a quest for this magical sword thing, and it was being kept by a witch. I tried to sneak into her house, but she caught me. I tried to talk my way out of it, but she called me a nasty rude creep and cursed me to be a frog. I think her exact words were 'Now you shall become on the outside what you are on the inside! _Slimy!_'"

Lisanna fell into a fit of giggles. "Were you hitting on her?"

"No! Well – I might have – um-"

"And there you go." She snickered one last time, before calming down. "What was her name? The witch's?"

Bixlow concentrated for a second. "It started with an 'L'... um... oh yeah! Lucy!"

Lisanna choked. "Lucy the Celestial Witch?!"

"Yeah!" He hopped up. "That's exactly her!"

"I know her!" Lisanna couldn't believe her ears. "Well, I sort of do, we met once..."

"And did you like her?" Bixlow asked, crossing his arms.

"Um, well." Lisanna swallowed. "I did! I liked her, she was, um... she was with my childhood love..."

Bixlow had a satisfied smirk. "So you hate her?"

"_No!_" She held out her arms. "I don't hate anyone! We're just... not best friends?"

"Right. Sure. I believe you."

"It's _true!_"

This was how their conversations went, with lots of teasing and flustering. Lisanna could feel herself growing closer every day to the frog-prince. And even if she still _refused_ to kiss him, she still couldn't help herself from asking him the question.

"Have you ever been in love?"

She'd told him all about Natsu; about how she'd planned to marry him when they were children and how things just weren't meant to be. But he'd so far neglected to say anything concerning love.

Bixlow was silent for a bit, and Lisanna felt herself growing worried. She hadn't meant to offend him. She hadn't meant to pry. What if he didn't want to talk to her anymore? Or worse, what if he declared that he was in love with some other girl and always had been – and wait, why would that be such a problem?

Clearly oblivious to her inner turmoil, Bixlow finally spoke up. "Yeah, I was in love once."

"Oh." Lisanna pulled her knees in, oddly disappointed. "With who?"

"Just a girl I knew." He sighed. "She was impossible to reach, though... but at least I can see her sometimes, right babies?"

"What was her name?" Lisanna almost didn't want to know the answer. But then she forced herself to snap out of it, because it really shouldn't matter to her at all.

"Ev-"

"_Evergreen!?"_ Lisanna burst out, unable to contain herself.

"What?" Bixlow blinked. "_No!_ Oh, jeez, yikes, no, she's _crazy _– wait, you know Lady Evergreen?"

Lisanna was utterly flabbergasted. "Yes, she's part of our court. How do you know her?"

"She used to come adventuring with me, sometimes." Bixlow laughed wistfully. "No, it wasn't Evergreen I was in love with. Her name is Evangeline."

"Evangeline." The name came off her lips like a rush of breath. "It's a lovely name."

"Yeah, well," Bixlow seemed unaffected. "So is Lisanna, but you don't seem to care too much."

She flushed. "Don't say that!" Lisanna splashed a bit of water in his face, and he sputtered.

"I'm only stating facts!" Bixlow screeched, trying to avoid the water. "Right, babies?" They chattered happily.

Lisanna couldn't sleep that night.

xxx

The next morning was a sunnier one than any by far. The light reflected of the pond in a lovely way, and it didn't look quite so awful as it usually did. Lisanna was a little apprehensive to visit Bixlow today, after spending the entire night tossing and turning and going over things in her mind.

He was waiting for her, floating along the pond on a lily pad. Her mouth quirked upwards involuntarily; being with her stupid frog prince made her too darn happy.

"Morning, Lisanna!" He called out to her, hopping to the shore. She raised an arm in greeting. When she sat down on the ground, still not saying anything, he jumped up onto her knees. "What's a matter with you?"

"Oh, nothing," she said quietly. Then shook her head. "No, actually. Not nothing. Bixlow, why did you ask me to kiss you when we first met?"

"I told you." He looked as though he thought she'd hit her head too hard. "I need to kiss a princess to have the curse broken."

"But can it just be any princess?" Lisanna burst out. She grabbed Bixlow from her lap, holding him out at eye level. "Did it not matter who it was, who _I_ was, you just wanted to kiss a princess to break the curse?"

"Where is this all coming from?" Bixlow yelped. "What did I do?"

Lisanna growled low in her throat. She hadn't even known she could make a noise like that, but was too angry to care. "Did you even want to kiss me because I was _me?_"

Bixlow blinked his large green eyes. "Oh, so that's what this is about," he teased lightly. His eyes reflected amusement when her cheeks flared to life.

"Answer the question, Bixlow," she ground out.

"Yes, I do need a princess to break my curse." He said bluntly. "But you're banging hot and the kind of girl I'd have gone after anyway, status or not. So yeah, I definitely want to kiss you because you're you."

Lisanna choked back a snort. All of her anger dissipated; it wasn't the most romantic answer she could have received, but it was the most Bixlow answer she could have hoped to get. And she knew he was telling the truth.

So she kissed him.

At first, however, she really regretted it, because he was a frog and it didn't matter who he was, kissing frogs was just nasty. But then everything started to glow, and her hair started flying from the strange warm breeze. Bixlow disappeared in her hands, and Lisanna cried out.

Everything exploded in a bright flash of greens, yellows, and pinks. When the light faded, glitter was still hanging in the air. Lisanna shielded her eyes, looking around wildly. "Bixlow!"

"Ugh... down here..."

She looked down, and nearly fainted on the spot. There he was, lying on his perfectly human back clothed in a suit of perfectly human armour and groaning his already perfectly human voice.

"Bixlow!" She yelled, throwing her arms around his neck. "I almost didn't believe you, I mean, I did, but at the same time I – I can't believe you're really here!"

"Ow, ow, ow," he winced. "Oh, man, being a frog for 7 years really puts a crick in your neck..."

She sat up. "Oh, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to..."

He waved a hand. "Naw, it's all good." She couldn't see his eyes through the visor, but she sensed it as they focused on the sky above. "Oi, look at that..."

The stars were out. In the middle of the day. Lisanna gasped in joy. "Oh, look! Bixlow look, I can see the evening star in broad daylight!"

He was still laying on the ground. "There she is."

"Who?"

"Evangeline."

Lisanna looked back up at the sky, wonder in her eyes. "The one you were in love with... was the evening star?"

Bixlow nodded. "The most beautiful soul I'd ever seen, always just out of reach."

"That's beautiful," Lisanna murmured. "You should write a poem. Or maybe a love song."

"About who? Evangeline? Or you?"

Her cheeks flushed, her entire face burned. That happened a lot around Bixlow. She looked down at him, and suddenly had to slap a hand to her mouth to stifle the giggles threatening to overtake her.

"What?"

A single chuckle escaped her throat. "Your tongue sticks out when you talk."

"Oh." He snickered. "Must be a side effect."

She leaned down to kiss him again, and this time it was better because he wasn't a frog anymore.

Then all his strange wooden dolls sprang to life, and flew over to where they were sitting. Bixlow jumped to his feet. "Babies!" He shrieked. Lisanna gave a small scream of delight as a few flew to nuzzle up to her.

Many things happened after that, like the shotgun wedding and the many adventures; the surprised approval of Lisanna's family and Bixlow's friends. An entire novel could have been written about the life Princess Lisanna and her Frog Prince, but the most important fact to remember –

She wasn't bored anymore.

_**THE END**_

"Aw, Mama that was so cute!" Mary Jane squealed, rolling around in her bedcovers. "Did Bixlow ever end up writing that song?"

Mira was barely listening. "Yes," she said musingly, pulling on her hair. "It's called "Ma Belle Evangeline."

Hugo was jumping up and down in excitement, babbling about witches and spells. Fern was watching her mother closely. "Mama, you look like you're planning something."

"I am not planning anything." Mirajane rolled her eyes, lying straight through her teeth.

"You are! I'm telling Auntie Lisanna!" Fern started, but Mira shushed her.

"I promise you another princess story tomorrow night!" she pleaded.

"Fine." Fern crossed both arms. "Cinderella or no deal."

"_No!"_ Hugo shouted. "No Cinderella!"

"Another princess story," Mira promised. "And I'll make it good."

She blew out the lamp before they could argue, and slipped out of the room. They quieted down almost instantly.

Mira sighed, and rubbed her hands together. Now, time for some matchmaking!

**XxXxX**

**Oh, Mira. You are incorrigible. **

**I only threw the whole 'Evangeline' thing in because I was watching 'The Princess and the Frog.' And listening to 'Ma Belle Evangeline' on repeat for like three whole weeks. I love love love that song!**

**Anyway. Another princess story is headed your way, with one of Fairy Tail's most underrated but cutest couples! Who could it be? Find out next time!**

**~CCS**


	13. Mother Moulin

**Guuh, midterms. **

**And for those of you wondering about Jerza – it's coming, don't you worry! I'm saving it so y'all have something to look forward to!**

**XxXxX**

Mary Jane, Hugo, and Fern weren't the only ones waiting in the bedroom when Mirajane arrived that night. Surprised, but smiling, she greeted their fourth visitor.

"Hello, Asuka!"

The girl grinned up at her. "Hi, Auntie Mira!"

That girl's toothy grin could light up an entire city was what Mirajane thought as she pulled out the book and sat down in her rocking chair. "What are you doing here tonight?"

"I want to hear you reading!" Asuka smiled. Mira looked at her sceptically.

"Aren't you 13-year-olds just a little old to be having fairy tale bedtime stories?"

Asuka puffed out her cheeks, and Mary Jane gave a scandalized gasp. "Mama!" She cried indignantly. "Didn't you say that we're never too old for fairy tales?"

Mira pretended to gasp in shame. "Why, so I did!" She cried. "All right, Asuka. What do you want to hear?"

Asuka shot up in her seat. "Rapunzel!"

Hugo whined. "Rapunzel? Ew, that's another dumb princess story!"

"No, it's my favourite!" Asuka argued.

Mirajane held up her hands for silence. "Guests choice," she said sternly to her son. "Rapunzel it is."

Asuka grinned triumphantly.

"Now, then, once upon a time..."

_**RAPUNZEL**_

Once upon a time, there was a family that sold their daughter. We won't go into reasons why, because selling a child is never a happy thing. But let's just say, a small farming family barely had enough to feed themselves, and when a daughter came along, things were too much. So they sold her to the witch next door, for food and money.

This witch's name was Moulin. She was a cruel woman, tall and imposing, and never the kind of woman you'd want for a mother. But she wanted a child to help her around the house; to do the chores because Moulin was too lazy.

Now, Moulin was also a very vain witch. She found herself, with flowing raven hair and pale skin, and gorgeous gray-green eyes, to be the most beautiful woman on the planet and hated it when others were prettier than she. So she wanted this child to be ugly, as not to steal away her glory.

For a while, it seemed it would work. The little girl came from common stock; neither of her parents were easy on the eyes. She was a chubby wee thing, with hair as green as grass and muddy brown eyes. Moulin fed her all kinds of unhealthy foods, and made her work in the garden so she was constantly covered in dirt. On top of everything, she named the girl Bisca, after a small weed that sometimes grew in the garden.

But as Bisca grew older, the plan started to fail. She lost her baby fat quickly, and by the age of seven was already looking like the healthiest child on the planet. Her green hair grew long, sleek and straight, and her eyes shifted to a more violet hue. People everywhere would stop to watch her working in the gardens, dirt smeared on her cheeks only adding to the charm.

This did not make Moulin happy. The witch was filled with jealousy that this child gained more attention than she. So, using her powers, she built a tower. Large, stone, and foreboding, with no doors and only a small window to enter. Moulin never cut Bisca's hair, allowing it to grow. By the time Bisca was nineteen, her hair could reach seven stories.

She kept it in a braid, and whenever she heard her 'mother' calling, she hooked it on the ledge and pulled her up. Because she did this every day, Bisca became strong and with strength came even more beauty.

"Why do you keep me away up here?" Bisca once asked her mother.

"Because you are too beautiful," Moulin answered, and that was the end of the discussion.

But it was not awful for Bisca. The inside of the tower was really quite lovely, with plush carpets and large mirrors. Not to mention the vast array of make-up hidden in the closet. Some years back, Bisca discovered the wonders of red lipstick and had never once looked back.

But there was another thing, just one other thing in the tower that made Bisca happy, and that was the box of guns under the floorboards.

Bisca was sure her mother hadn't wanted her to find them. Bisca knew she wasn't supposed to touch them. But Bisca liked to do things that rebelled against her mother, and what Mother Moulin didn't know wouldn't hurt her, right?

So, by the time she was nineteen, not only did Bisca have to longest hair in the world, but was the best sharpshooter in history.

xxx

Bisca was crouched by the balcony of her tower, eye pressed to the scope of the rifle. She could see her target clearly; a knot in a tree some 5 miles away. That was the power of the scope, she had found ones that allowed her to see even farther but clearly no one had ever used. Until she had, of course.

Hitting something 5 miles away would be a breeze.

Slim fingers pulled the trigger back, but the gun barely moved as the bullet was launched through the air. It cut in a straight line, ripping through foliage before being embedded soundly into the very centre of the knot on the tree.

Bisca whooped loudly, jumping up for joy. This was barely a hard target, but the numerous trees blocking her way presented an entertaining challenge. Bisca always made sure to never hit any friendly wildlife; after all, they were her only real company.

Happily, she hummed to herself as she switched the scope. This one was for close range, and as she mounted the rifle back on her shoulder, she aimed for the haphazard target circles carved meticulously by various bullet imprints.

Bisca counted herself lucky Mother had never found her target circles. Even though she was so proud of them, Bisca never wanted her mother to realize she had found her guns. Something told her Mother would not be happy.

The sound of quiet singing, however, made her gut freeze. She quickly grabbed the gun and flew back into her tower, grabbing all the various bits and pieces strewn out and shoving them back into the white box. She shoved the box under the floorboards under the carpet under the bed just as her mother's voice sang up, "Bisca! Let down your hair!"

"Coming, Mother!" She called back. Giving the floor one last good stomp, she hurried over to the window and threw her long braid over the edge.

Swiftly and deftly, Bisca pulled up her mother. The weight, she felt , was barely anything at all. Moulin hardly ever ate due to her strange obsession with being thin. Bisca didn't understand it much, she ate constantly and still felt her figure was flattering. Maybe because she exercised so often.

As Moulin came over the windowsill, she sat on it and spread her arms. "Darling, come give Mother a hug," she said brightly.

Bisca hugged her, as she always did. She tensed, waiting for the inevitable..."Dear, you seem to have put on some weight. Have you been eating too much?" And there it was.

"I guess so, Mother." She glanced down at herself. Sure, her hourglass figure was different from her mother's bony hips and willowy frame. But due to all the reading Bisca had been doing recently, men seemed to prefer it that way.

Suddenly, her face flamed at the memory. _The books!_ She'd left them sitting on her bedside table last night, if her mother found them...

But Bisca need not have worried. Mother Moulin never seemed to do much except rag on Bisca's appearance, and tell her to sing more often. She was gone within the half hour.

As her mother wandered back off into the woods, Bisca let out a breath she hadn't known to be holding. Was she really so unappealing looking? After all, the various romance novels Bisca also didn't think her mother knew existed told a very different story. She smoothed her hands along her waist, feeling the hard muscles of her abs. Was it that? Did guys not like muscles? But she liked being strong...

Feeling completely down and confused, Bisca plopped down on her bed and closed her eyes.

It was nearly sunset by the time she pulled herself out of her depression. Shaking her head and tucking a few strands of hair behind her ears, she decided not to be so gloomy. It wasn't as if she was ever going to meet a man, anyways.

Carefully, Bisca slid out the white box and pulled out her favourite rifle. Sure, she'd already used it today, but she was in need of a little comfort.

She settled comfortably into a sitting position, hefting the gun on her shoulder. Movement in the forest caught her eye. Tensing, she raised herself into a defensive position.

She sat like that for several minutes, not daring to move. The rustling in the trees seemed to move closer, then stop. She clutched the gun a little tighter. Using her ears, she quickly assessed that whatever was coming towards her was a human, or at least, moved on two legs. But the only human being who knew of this towers existence was her mother. And she'd already left for the day.

Then the scrabbling of rocks and falling stones made her stomach plummet.

Someone was climbing her tower.

xxx

Honestly, Alzack had been having a perfectly normal day.

It started with him leaving his castle for a wander in the woods, and ended with him being hopelessly lost. Alzack was a man, and therefore had a lousy sense of direction, but being a man, he also insisted to himself he knew exactly where he was going. This resulted in him being completely off the map, and with no idea where to go next.

His horse skittered a bit beneath him, and Alzack reached down a hand to steady him. "You'd think," he half complained to the stallion, "that I would know the way to my own castle!"

Yes, Alzack was a prince. A very kind one, and quite charming; he'd had more than his fair share of possible marriages thrown his way. Alzack had politely rejected them all, claiming "I have to be in love when I get married!"

Alzack's parents were not picky, and therefore could care less about what Alzack did. They were both young, and still in very good health, so had no qualms about him not producing and heir. And they were perfectly happy with letting him go off and explore on his own, sometimes for days at a time.

Holding a hand to shade his eyes from the sun, Alzack scanned the horizon. "Look at that, Max," he said quietly.

There, rising out of the edge of the forest, was a tower. Instead of wondering about hostile enemies, as most people would have, Alzack's first thoughts went to food and shelter. "Let's go, Max!" He yelped, slapping the reigns. His horse refused to move.

Jumping down, Alzack looked pointedly into Max's eyes. The horse glared back at him. Clearly, he didn't want to get any more lost than they were already.

Alzack frowned. "Fine, be that way." And he took off, listening in slight amusement as Max plopped his rump straight on the ground.

Now on foot, Alzack stomped through the trees and underbrush. He headed for the tower, trying to be quiet but miserably failing.

By the time he reached the tower, it was nearly sunset and Alzack was desperate for a drop of water. Not even caring to think about the consequences anymore, he got a firm grip on the rocks and began climbing.

If you're wondering why he didn't look around for a door, well, let's just say Alzack was not the brightest star in the sky. All he knew was that he saw a window and opportunity screamed.

Fingers digging into the mortar, Alzack unsteadily clambered his was up the tower, inwardly trying to determine how high he was. Six stories, possibly? Either way, it was a long way up.

Alzack thought the tower was uninhabited. Or at least, whoever lived there wasn't aware of his presence. So imagine his surprise when, upon rounding the sill, he came face to face with the shining muzzle of a rifle.

Needless to say, he promptly shrieked like a girl and let go.

**XxXxX**

**And now, visions of Bisca hitting Alzack with a frying pan will be dancing in your head.**

**HAH!**

**I love Alzack and Bisca more than you possibly know, oh my gods, they are so cute. SO CUTE. I could just eat them alive, they're so cute. And ASUKA! She's so cute I just I can't I don't even.**

**...**

**Anyway, see you next time!**

**~CCS**


	14. Bisca, Bisca, Let Down Your Hair

**Whoah guys, totally bypassed 100 reviews and I didn't even notice. What, what, what. Stop making me love you. And I'm sorry if I didn't get replies out to everyone, I really try to because I feel each of you should know how much I love you INDIVIDUALLY.**

**And for those who don't review, I love you too, don't worry. :D**

**XxXxX**

Alzack coughed and sputtered, the wind completely knocked from him after falling from a giant tower. Rolling over, he counted himself lucky that there were no roots on the ground. He could have broken his back!

But that was the least of his problems, because the crazy woman in the tower was still pointing a gun at him.

"Who are you?!" She screeched. "How did you find me?"

He held up his hands in surrender. "I'm lost!" He yelled back up to her. "Completely lost, I have no idea where I am! I swear! I just wanted a place to stay!"

The girl in the tower was silent, and Alzack squeezed his eyes hut, fearing the worst. Then seemingly out of nowhere, she pulled the rifle back and disappeared.

"Okay," he mumbled. "Or you could just do that."

The girl came back, this time tossing something over the side. A rope? But it was a strange looking, braided, green rope... was that...could it possibly be _hair?_

"Grab on," the girl called, and Alzack tightened his grip on the hair-rope. It was surprisingly soft and silky, and Alzack resisted the urge to dig his fingers in a little. But all thought of that disappeared from his mind as the girl gave a sharp tug and he was lifted off the ground.

It didn't take her long to haul him back up, certainly less time than when he'd tried to climb it himself. In less than a minute, he was clambering over the windowsill and sprawled on the ground by her feet.

Looking up, Alzack got a clear sight of the girl, and what he saw stunned and amazed him. To say she was the most beautiful thing in the world would be an understatement. Her hair was long, green and silky, and had been cut absolutely nowhere. About halfway down her back, it started into a loose braid, which grew tighter and became a long coiled snake that wound around the room. Her eyes, too, were mesmerizing, were they violet or brown, he honestly couldn't tell. Her lips were red, standing out against her pale skin, and her dress did barely anything to hide her wonderful curves.

Needless to say, Alzack lay on the floor, gaping like a dead fish.

xxx

Bisca stared down at the man, scared and confused but trying very hard not to show it. He was incredibly handsome, was the first thing she noticed. Illustrations in books didn't quite do things justice if they were at all supposed to be realistic. His dark hair flopped into even darker eyes, which were currently wide and cheeks stained red. Eventually, she cleared her throat, trying to escape the strange staring contest they were locked in.

He jumped, and sat up quickly. "Thank you! Um, for letting me up."

"Not a problem," she spoke, and noticed him stiffen as she did so. Odd. "What did you say your name was?"

"Alzack," he answered instantly. "Alzack Connell."

"Bisca," she answered tightly.

He breathed her name, the sound like a symphony as it escaped his lips. "_Bisca."_

She felt her cheeks flare, and quickly grabbed the gun for where it was sitting, holding it out defensively. "What do you want, Alzack Connell?"

"Like I said!" He squeaked, holding up his hands again. "I got lost, and I really needed a place to stay the night and eat something, and maybe find a better map?"

Bisca felt some of her limbs loosen. This guy, even though she barely knew him, seemed to ooze trustworthiness from every pore. "Well, I can't help you with the map. But I have food and you can stay here the night, as long as you're gone by morning. I'd hate to see what happens if my mother finds you."

"Your mother?"

"She's a witch," Bisca clarified, taking small joy in the way he jolted nervously.

As she opened the cupboards, searching for some food, Alzack began to ask her questions. "Why are you here in this tower?"

Bisca got the impression telling him she was too beautiful might make him burst out laughing, so she tried another tactic. One she felt was closer to the truth. "Mother keeps me away. I don't want to leave, but I couldn't even if I did."

"Really?" Alzack blinked. "That's awful. Can't you just use your hair like you did for me?"

Bisca had never actually thought of that. "Maybe, but I don't think it would work."

Alzack merely shrugged. "You should try it sometime."

Her hands shook as she contemplated the reality of leaving her tower. In fact, they shook so much, she dropped the jar of olives.

He was there in a second, catching the jar in her hands right before it was lost forever. His fingers caught hers gently, and where their skin touched, sparks flew.

Neither of them dared move. Bisca slowly raised her eyes, meeting Alzack's shyly.

He smiled at her gently. "Careful."

It was then that any barriers between the two vanished. They ate companionably, sitting on the plush couch and trading stories like old friends. And if their feet were playing a silent game of footsie, well, no one complained.

"So there we were, standing on the front lines – totally outnumbered, may I add – and this idiot just runs straight in! Full charge!" Alzack was laughing, his eyes alight with the tale. "Ah, but if it weren't for him we might have lost, so I have no right to complain."

Bisca giggled, and Alzack felt his gut fluttering in warmth. "So, what rank are you?"

He blinked. Didn't she know? "I'm the prince," he said.

He watched in amusement and Bisca's eyes grew wide. "A prince?" She said, her voice so shaky it was almost comical.

"It's not that big of a deal," he said. "There are so many kingdoms around here, and just as many princes."

But what Alzack wasn't aware of were the many scenarios currently running through Bisca's mind, ones that only existed in the cheesiest of romantic stories and made her cheeks turn red as a cherry.

He leaned forward and pressed his hand against her forehead. "Are you all right?" He asked. "You look a little feverish."

She shook her head. "I'm fine!" She squeaked out.

He frowned. "You don't look fine." Her face was so close, he was having trouble keeping himself in check. For heaven's sake, he just met the girl! He couldn't just go kissing some girl her barely knew, that would be...

All thoughts promptly sizzled to a halt when she pressed a cool palm to his cheek.

"No, you're right," she said quietly. "I don't feel fine. I feel dizzy, and fluttery...almost like I'm flying..."

He leaned forwards, unconsciously, and whispered, "Yeah, I'm getting that too."

She sucked in a breath. "Is this...are we..."

"I don't know," he replied, and kissed her softly.

xxx

Bisca awoke the next morning to something heavy draped over her, and she realized sleepily that it was Alzack's arm. Sighing in contentment, she slid out from under him, and shook his shoulder gently in an attempt to rouse him.

"Take me away with you," she said later, as he was preparing to leave. She hadn't meant to say it, it simply slipped out, but Bisca couldn't help herself. She wanted to stay with Alzack, even if it meant leaving her mother forever.

Alzack blinked. A slow smile crept up his cheeks. "You mean you weren't coming to begin with?" He asked teasingly.

Bisca smacked his shoulder lightly, grinning widely. "I have to gather a few things first, okay?"

He nodded. "I'll bring my horse."

She let him down gently, allowing the long braid of her hair to sway I the wind a bit, waving to Alzack as he disappeared through the tree line. Sucking in a breath, she dashed back into the tower room, and began throwing things together.

Apart from the box of guns, and a few spare dresses, Bisca didn't have much. She held the box carefully under her arm, hooking her hair and taking a deep breath. "Here goes," she mumbled to herself, bravery warring with fear in her head.

"Bisca! Let down your hair!"

The singing voice caught Bisca completely off guard, and she let out a gasp of shock. What was her mother doing here so early?

Quickly, Bisca sat on the box, pulling up her hair from the seated position. When Moulin surfaced, she raised an eyebrow. "Resting , are we?"

"Um, yes?" Bisca's mind was racing. "Mother, I'm not feeling very well today. Do you think you could make it a short visit?"

Moulin pouted, something not very becoming of her. "Darling, I just got here!"

"Please, Mother!" Bisca burst out. Moulin narrowed her eyes.

"And why are you being so rude today? You know being rude does awful things to your complexion, not that yours was perfect to begin with-"

"That's enough!" Bisca stood. Mulan's eyebrows rose when she caught sight of the box of guns. But Bisca couldn't care less. "I have had it with your constant complaining and awful way of treating me! I deserve better!" Tears shone in her eyes, but they were defiant and strong. "I'm leaving, to go to better things."  
Moulin moved so fast it was nearly imperceptible, wrapping her fingers around Bisca's throat. "And who treats you better than I do?" She asked dangerously. "You don't know anyone else but me."

"Alzack does," Bisca ground out. "My prince does."

Moulin's eyes widened in anger. She had a _prince_ under her thumb? Jealousy flared deep in Mulan's soul, causing her to turn into a deranged beast. "You ungrateful wretch!" She roared. Taking a knife from the folds of her cloak, she sliced all of Bisca's hair off.

Bisca cried out, both in pain and despair. Mulan leaned in close, whispering into her skin. "I'll make sure that precious prince of yours never sees the light of day," she hissed.

And everything went black.

xxx

Alzack ran back to the tower, dragging Max in tow. The horse had spent the night comfortably in the woods, snacking on apples whenever he felt like it. But now, his idiotic master was trying to bring him somewhere else, and Max really didn't want to go.

"I'm telling you" Alzack was busy swooning. "She's perfect! Flawless! I've never met anyone so wonderful!" He nearly jumped for joy when he returned to the tower. "Bisca, let down your hair!" He called happily.

The long green braid flew out again, and he grabbed a hold, ignoring the way Max nervously pawed the ground.

The ride up seemed to take longer this time, and in the back of his mind, Alzack wondered if something was wrong. When he made it over the sill, his eyes searched wildly. "Bisca? Are you-?"

"She's not here."

He gasped upon catching sight of the woman in the shadows. She seemed to melt out of them as she stalked toward him, dark hair limp and eyes glowing with malice.

"Who are you?!" He yelled, drawing his sword. The woman laughed maniacally.

"Who am I?" She cackled. "I am your precious girl's mother!"

Alzack felt his stomach drop. _You need to leave before my mother comes home_. Was this who Bisca had been so afraid of?

"Where is she?" He growled low in his throat. "What have you done with her?"

She slid across the floor, closer to him with every step. Heart pounding, he stepped back as she advanced until his knees hit the windowsill.

"Search forever," the woman growled. "You'll never find her."

"I will!" Alzack shouted. "I love her!"

The woman's face contorted in rage as soon as the word 'love' left his lips. She pushed out, hands hitting his chest with such force that he toppled backwards out of the tower window.

Her laughter, echoing in his ears, was the last thing he heard before his world went black.

xxx

It had been over a year since Bisca had seen her prince Alzack.

Over a year since she'd heard from her mother, who left her to die in the middle of nowhere. Over a year since Bisca had forgotten how to be happy. Over a year since she found her old tower, pulled down brick by brick, and her mother's body lying dead in the rubble.

It appeared she'd become so overwrought with rage and jealousy that she single-handedly tried to tear the tower apart. In her frail condition, malnutritioned state, she subsequently destroyed herself.

The only thing left standing were the rose bushes that had grown profusely at the base. Bisca felt her heart despair when she saw the pool of dried blood. Somehow, she knew that it was Alzack's.

She followed the trail until it disappeared. Finding no body, she became convinced that he was still alive and had dedicated herself to finding him.

She had one small – no, one incredible comfort – in her child. Asuka, with dark hair and bright eyes, the sole light and purpose of Bisca's existence anymore.

"You are a princess, Asuka," she whispered to the baby.

After what felt like eternity of wandering aimlessly, Bisca heard a sound that didn't belong in the woods. She tightened her grip on Asuka, brushing her freshly cut bangs out of her eyes. The noise was full of despair, and it wracked her heart. She knew that sound; she made it almost every night.

It was the sound of human crying.

She crept around the trees, carefully, trying not to disturb the man sobbing by a tree. But he did not seem threatening. In fact, he seemed very familiar.

Heart in her throat, Bisca reached out a hand. "A-Alzack?"

The man stopped crying instantly, snapping his head up. Bisca stifled a sob when she saw his eyes. They were scratched and red, steaks of dried blood covered his face. He gazed sightlessly in her direction. But when he spoke, his voice was still the same.

"Bisca?"

She gasped, falling upon him. "Oh, Alzack!" She sobbed. "What did my mother do to you?"

Beside her, Asuka started crying as well. Bisca pressed her forehead to Alzack's, the relief and joy of finally finding him mixed with the horror and sadness of finding him like this. Tears leaked from her eyes, and fell onto his, mixing with his own.

"Bisca..."

"I'm sorry Alzack! This was all my fault! I should have just left with you, this would never have happened!"

"Bisca."

"And I've been looking for you every day since then, I swear I never gave up on you-"

"Bisca!"

Finally, she stopped blubbering, and pulled back, opening her eyes. What she saw stunned and amazed her.

Alzack's eyes had completely healed.

"I can see," he said quietly.

All the love, and the pain and guilt and joy and sadness had poured from Bisca's heart and healed his scarred eyes. She let out a gasp of elated joy and threw her arms around him. "I love you!" She cried.

"I love you, too," Alzack replied in some amusement. But the moment was marred by the wails of a baby. He glanced down and saw Asuka, and promptly blanched.

"Bisca...is that..is she..."

She glanced down, and laughed. Picking up the child, she held her out. "This is Asuka," she said warmly. "Our daughter."

Alzack, for the first time in over a year, felt true happiness. "Our daughter," he replied in wonder.

Max, his faithful horse all these years, who in the end had a worse sense of direction than Alzack ever had, carried the three of them towards the castle. Bisca sat behind Alzack, who was cradling Asuka in his arms. This was, in every sense of the word, a happy ending.

Providing they actually found the castle.

_**THE END**_

Asuka clapped loudly. "That was perfect, Auntie Mira!" She declared. "I now crown you the best storyteller ever!"

Mirajane laughed softly. "I appreciate that greatly, Asuka."

The girl hopped off the bed, and after saying good night, headed off to her house. The three remaining children clambered into their bed, Mirajane tucking them in neatly.

"What's tomorrow, Mama?" Mary Jane wondered.

"Cinderella!" Fern demanded, half-asleep.

Hugo and Mary Jane groaned in unison. Mira kissed her on the forehead.

"You win. Cinderella it is."

**XxXxX**

**Gods I just love Alzack and Bisca. They make me want to run around in circles for joy.**

**Next week: You all know Cinderella and her Prince. But did you know the only one who can out-drink Cinderella...is her Prince? Find out more next time!**

**~CCS**


	15. Cinder Cana

**I realize that some of you may not know who the prince is here if you haven't read the manga, the anime hasn't introduced him yet. Just...imagine how gorgeous he is xD**

**Also as to why the step-siblings are who they are, they were the bad guys during the arc with focus on Cana and Gildarts. So, in my head, it makes sense!**

**XxXxX**

Fern was singing when Mirajane entered the room that night. "Cinderella!" She squealed, twirling around in mad circles. "Mama's going to tell us Cinderella!"

Hugo was trying to hide in the closet, and Mary Jane was looking at her mother with a look on her face akin to 'Mama, what have you done?' Mira stuffed her hand over her face to stop the unrelenting giggles building in her throat.

"I promise I'll make it good for all three of you," she said instead. The three clambered into bed, eyes twinkling and excited at the idea of a new story. She smiled at them.

"Now, for Cinderella with a twist...once upon a time..."

_**CINDERELLA**_

Once upon a time, in a faraway kingdom, there was a traveling merchant by the name of Gildarts Clive. Not the richest man in the world, but not poor, and certainly not unhappy. He traveled to all the farthest corners of the world, and once he even fell in love.

The woman's name was Cornelia Alberona. She was not the daughter of a duke, or an exotic dancer girl. She was not a beautiful underprivileged servant, or any of those romantic notions. She was the owner of a bed and breakfast and once housed Gildarts as he passed through town.

Gildarts left, with many promises to return, and fully intending to make good on those promises. But after he left, disaster struck the bed and breakfast. Cornelia was running low on money and try as she might, could do nothing to save it. The bed and breakfast was taken over, by an older man called Purehito. This man had two insufferable sons, Rustyrose and Zancrow. Purehito forced the pregnant Cornelia to work for him, and the woman died while giving birth to her daughter, Cana.

Word reached Gildarts that Cornelia had died, and so upset was he that he never returned to the bed and breakfast. Nor did her ever learn that he had a daughter, who constantly suffered at the hands of her 'stepfather' and 'stepbrothers'.

But despite her bleak outlook, the child Cana grew up fairly happy. She was headstrong, and did most of the work at the bed and breakfast. A hard worker, loyal, and kind, Cana also grew to drown any sorrows she may have in her own special way...

xxx

"Oi! Get up, girl!"

Cana coughed and sputtered, jerking awake as a bucket of cold water was thrown at her. She sat up quickly, too quickly, as the memories of last night and headache quickly dragged her down. Groaning, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and glared up.

"Curse you for breathing, you idiot! What do you want with a sleeping woman?"

The man who had woken her was had the yellow hair and crazy eyes she recognized in her stepbrother Zancrow. He grinned down at her misfortune. "Father wants you up; the Hades B&B needs you!"

Cana groaned, and put her head in her hands. Zancrow continued to stand in doorway, watching until she pulled herself to her feet and stumbled out of the room. She could still feel Zancrow's eyes on her. "Why do you always sleep by the fireplace?"

She shot him a look over her shoulder. "It's the best place to collapse after a night of drinking."

A new voice hissed. "Father won't be happy if he hears you were drinking again."

"Father can suck it," Cana shot, and watched as Rustyrose fell into step with his brother.

"I can what?"

Cana stopped short. So hung-over was she that she hadn't even realized she'd reached Purehito's study. "Nothing, Father," Cana mumbled. "What did you want me to do today?"

Purehito grunted. "Change all of the sheets in the empty rooms. His Royal Highness, Prince Bacchus is giving a ball, and maidens from all over the kingdom will be flocking to this city. We need to make sure they will be accommodated properly."

"Yes, sir," Cana answered, slinking out of the room. Purehito watched her, Rustyrose and Zancrow snickering as she left.

"So the Prince is giving a ball, huh?" Rustyrose looked interested. "I bet this will be an excellent opportunity to present my poetry to the maidens..."

Zancrow looked bored. "I don't wanna go to some stupid dance!" He snarled. "What's even the point for me to go?"

"Hot babes," Rustyrose answered, picking his fingernails. Zancrow perked up.

Purehito still had his scheming face on. "Boys," he said, "I have a bad feeling about this ball. We must make sure Cana does not attend, at any costs."

Meanwhile, Cana was stomping through the upper halls of the B&B, pulling sheets off beds and throwing them in the laundry hamper. "So dumb," she grumbled as she did. "I don't even understand why this Prince decides to have a ball, and make it so inconvenient for me!"

At the end of the hall in the highest floor of the B&B, was the door she knew was always locked. Out of habit, she knocked it with her shoulder as she went. But today, to her surprise, it opened wide and she stumbled in.

The laundry spilled from the hamper, and Cana swore as white fabric tumbled across the floor. Bending to pick it up, she finally took in her surroundings. A fine layer of dust coated every surface, and the windows had been boarded up. Cana wandered over to the desk, wiping the glass of a photo. She gasped, and nearly dropped the frame.

It was her mother.

Cana had never seen a real picture of her mother, only a small photo in a locket of a severe woman without a smile on her face. This picture, however, was nearly unrecognizable. Cornelia was smiling widely, as if she had been caught mid-laugh as the photo was taken. With a muscular arm slung around her shoulder, was a man Cana didn't recognize. He had orange hair, and a scruffy face, and a smile so bright it rivalled her mother's. Cana sat down in the chair, slowly. It couldn't be...but then, could it possibly be her _father?_

"This was Mother's study," Cana breathed, the realization dawning on her. "But why did Father...no, why did _Purehito_ keep it locked from me all this time?" Anger pooled in her stomach, and Cana gripped the photo frame tightly.

Furiously, she ripped open drawers and cupboards, searching for something, _anything,_ that could tell her a piece of the truth.

xxx

"So you mean, this guy is your father but he doesn't know you exist?"

Cana sighed, and leaned over the bar. "I've reread my mom's diary over and over again. Among her many _detailed_ torrid affairs with the guy, she also repeatedly talked about how he left before she found out she was pregnant."

"That's awful." Levy, one of the girls constantly sitting at the bar, rested her chin on her palm. "Oh, Cana, I wish there was something I could do."

"Yeah, you shouldn't have to put up with that jerk Purehito anymore!" Wakaba, another drinking companion declared. "You should go find your dad!"

"I wish I could!" Cana sighed. "But all I know is his name. And that he's a merchant."

Macao, the bartender, wandered over to her. "Your fifth glass," he slid the cup towards Cana. She took it gratefully. "You know, if he's a recorded merchant, there's probably a good chance he'll be here tonight."

Cana blinked. "What?"

"Oh, yeah!" Lucy, another good friend of Cana's, stood up, nearly knocking over her chair. "A ball like this? Business opportunities? There's no way he'll miss it!"

"Um, _uno problemo_ Miss Lucy." Cana burst her bubble. "He'll be at the ball all night, while I'm stuck working at the stupid B&B."

"What?!"

"Yeah, Purehito gave me extra shifts tonight. You know, because he and the boys will be so busy partying it up."

Levy sighed. "Cana, that's awful."

"Whatever." Cana sighed, and stood. "Thanks for the free drinks, Macao."

"Anytime, princess," he replied. "Though I really wish you'd cut back."

She waved at them all dejectedly at the door.

Back at the inn, Cana was sitting up her mother's study, with the door locked. She knew if Purehito found her in here, she'd be dead meat. But with her legs curled up under her, in her mother's old chair that smelled vaguely like old spices, she couldn't bring herself to move.

Outside, she could hear Purehito and the boys leaving. A small sigh escaped her. It was time to get to work, and not to think about the bright shining castle, or how good the royal wine would taste, or her father.

It was surprising, really, how good she was at lying to herself.

"I wish I could go to the ball," Cana murmured, quietly, to herself.

No sooner had she uttered the words than a bright light filled the room, causing Cana to shield her eyes. When the light dimmed, and Cana blinked to spots away from her eyes, Cana gasped. There was a stranger in the room.

"Who are you?!" She yelped, striking a ninja pose.

The stranger giggled, and clapped her hands together. "Why, silly, don't you know? I'm your fairy godmother!"

Cana blinked. Now that she paid attention, the woman did truly look like a fairy. Her hair was white, and her eyes were blue, and she was wearing a sparkly pink and red dress with matching pink and red sparkly wings. The smile on her face was the shiniest thing in the room, however. "My name is Mirajane!"

As her fairy wings fluttered, Cana gave a slight laugh. "Wait, you're my fairy godmother?"

"Mhmm~!"

"So..." Cana's mind was whirring. "So where have you been all my life? What about all those times when I really needed you, couldn't you have-"

Mirajane shook her head. "I can only come when your need is desperate, child," she explained. "You are such a strong woman, you never needed me to solve your problems. And after tonight, you'll probably never need me again. But in case of tonight..." her smile turned wicked. "It's going to take some magic to get you to that ball!"

"You're gonna take me to the ball?" Cana asked. "Wouldn't it just be easier to-"

"_Hush!_" Mirajane sang. "Come outside with me, quick, quick, quick!"

They hurried on to the front lawn of the B&B, Mirajane singing to herself as she did so. "Now where did I put that silly wand... oh yes!" She giggled, pulling it out of her sleeve. "Now, what's the first thing we need?"

"A mode of transportation?" Cana asked. Mirajane's eyes sparkled.

"Yes! And I know just how to get it!" Waving her wand, a tidal wave of sparkles cascaded over the garden, and within seconds all the fruits and vegetables were glowing. A pumpkin rose up, floated towards them, expanded, and burst into a gold-and-silver-filigree carriage.

"Oh, wow!" Cana gasped. "Nice one, Mira!"

She beamed. "I try."

A few wand flicks later, and the carriage was being manned by some mice-footmen and a bird-coachman. He chirped happily as Mirajane stroked her chin.

"Something else is missing," she mused.

Cana shrugged, preparing to hop on. "Nope, I'm all good."

Mirajane gasped. _"Wait!"_ She screeched. Cana jumped a mile. "What?"

"Your clothes!" Mirajane wrung her hands. "Oh, you simply can't go to a royal ball dressed like that, no, no, I won't allow it! Simply won't!" She took a deep breath, and with an expert twist and a few words Cana didn't quite catch – bibbity bobbity something? – her entire wardrobe changed in a flash.

Cana gave a little scream. From head to toe, she was covered in a pale bluish-white gown that cascaded in layers, almost like a tiered cake. But in a pretty way. The gown was covered with small crystals that glimmered like rainbows as she spun around. Feeling with silk-gloved hands, Cana felt her hair twisted into a shiny updo punctured with more crystals and a glimmering tiara.

"Wow," she said.

"Now you can go!" Mirajane was clapping her hands with joy. "You look so beautiful! Oh, and check your feet!"

Cana lifted her skirts. "Glass slippers, huh?" She shook her head. "You sure like shiny things."

"So do men."

"What?"

"Nothing~," Mirajane sang. "Now, there's one thing we gave to get straight. My magic only lasts until midnight. You can stay later if you want, but the pretty dress and pumpkin carriage will be gone. Unless you want to be stuck there in your underwear."

Cana shook her head, displeasure making her face twist. She looked over the B&B giving a mournful sigh. "Purehito's going to kill me when he finds out I didn't do my job."

"That's where we come in."

Cana whipped around, eyes wide. "You guys," she whispered, happy tears just maybe forming in her eyes.

It was all of them. Macao, Wakaba, Levy and her fanclub, even Lucy. The latter squealed when she saw her. "Cana, you look so pretty!"

"Absolutely beautiful," Wakaba agreed, sending up a rousing cheer amongst the drinkers.

Macao pinched her cheek. "We'll cover for you. Go find your happiness," he said.

So happy she could barely speak, Cana stepped into the carriage. "Thank you everyone!" She called in a rare show of politeness. "I love you all so much!"

"We love you too, Cana!" They called back to her.

As they filed into the building, Cana looked at Mirajane. "Thank you for all this."

She shrugged. "Don't thank me, honey. Those people are doing this because they love you. Friendship is a kind of magic in itself."

Cana blew her a kiss, then settled inside the carriage. "All right!" She cried. "I'm off to find my father!"

"And maybe true love!"

Cana turned to glare at the fairy, but she had already disappeared in a shower of sparkles. Cana allowed a somewhat dark grin to take over her face.

"Yeah, maybe that, too."

**XxXxX**

**Pfff Cana as Cinderella.**

**It's really because Cinderella is arguably the most well-known fairy tale, so I'm just trying to spruce it up a little. Bring everyone something new. And I promise Mr Prince Charming makes a solid appearance, 'cuz I like him!**

**And imagining Mirajane as Whitney Houston just makes me so happy *tear* For all you lovely readers who know what I mean: falderal and fiddly-dee, fiddly faddly foodle :)**

**...**

**(all the dreamers in the world are dizzy in the noodle)**

**See you next time!**


	16. There is Music in You

There must have been a thousand people in the ballroom.

Prince Bacchus was almost sure of it, although it might have been the drink talking. He wasn't exactly sure the room could even fit a thousand people, but...

Nevertheless, it was just too crowded.

Not to mention, hordes of women throwing themselves at him. Normally this wouldn't be a big deal; in fact, normally, this would be great. Added with the amounts of drinking going on, tonight had all the potential to be the best night of Bacchus' life.

But the main problem was that the amount of women throwing themselves at him just couldn't hold their liquor.

Bacchus ducked another girl, and watched in amusement as she tripped on the hem of her gown and clattered to the floor. He rolled his eyes and took another swig from his mug (much to his parents chagrin). Whatever. Just because they couldn't have a little fun didn't mean he couldn't.

As the current song came to a close, Bacchus noticed a shift in the crowd. People were not longer staring without purpose; in fact, all eyes seemed to be glued on the grand staircase. Curious as to their stares, Bacchus turned to the staircase, and felt his own eyebrows rise.

The girl was beautiful, stunning even. She glimmered and sparkled in the evening light, with one smooth coil of hair fallen down from her updo and was teasingly dusting her collarbone. But it wasn't her beauty that made Bacchus make his way through the crowd to meet her.

It was the small swig she took from the flask at her hip.

As she descended the staircase, Bacchus met her at the bottom. Now that he was close, he could definitely see the flush in her cheeks that meant she'd already been drinking. But she was completely steady on her feet, and her eyes were clear and lucid. He held out a hand, and she took it.

And then they started to dance.

xxx

Cana whirled across the floor, glass shoes surprisingly comfortable to dance in. And the strong and steady arms of her partner were practically lifting her off the floor.

He hadn't said anything yet, but Cana was snickering on the inside at the thought of the prince dancing with a commoner like herself. Part of her was certain Mirajane had set this up. She could almost hear the fairy laughing now.

She noticed the flush of his cheeks, and the corner of her mouth quirked up. "You are drunk, Your Highness."

"So are you," he observed. "And please, just Bacchus is fine."

She grinned, and spun out of his grip. He reached out and grabbed her waist, pulling her close to him. They weren't even dancing anymore, not really. "All right then. Bacchus."

The ceiling was whirling, but Cana didn't even mind. Bacchus pulled her off the dance floor and to the bar, where the bartender shot them two mugs ahead of the line. Cana grinned. "Being a prince has it's perks, huh?"

He shrugged, and took a gulp. Cana studied the mug, which was made of glass and studded with diamonds. She snorted. _Royals._

She must have spent an hour sitting at the bar with Bacchus. Mostly playing drinking games, with Bacchus trying to get information about her. So far, Cana had given nothing.

"Come on, sis," he moaned, something he'd taken to calling her. "Give me something to go on, here!"

She shook her head. The room was starting to spin now, but only just a little. "Absolutely not," she proclaimed. "And stop calling me 'sis!'"

Then she smacked her hand down on the table. "Wait a minute," she said shakily. "I... I came here to do something!" She struggled the focus her eyes, Bacchus staring at her quizzically. "I have to find my father!" She remembered suddenly.

"Your father?" Bacchus inquired. "Who is he?"

"He's a merchant..." Cana whispered, eyes scanning the ballroom for any sign of orange hair.

"Well, I know every merchant in the kingdom," Bacchus straightened his shirt. "Do you know his name?"

"Of course I know his name!" Cana shot, annoyed that he was showing almost no signs of their little drinking fest. No one had ever out-drank her before. "His name is Gildarts Clive."

Bacchus' face clouded. "He has a daughter?" At Cana's look, he shrugged again and pointed. "Yeah, right over there."

Almost all of the ballroom faded away, and Cana's only focus was the man in the crowd just ahead of her. Without so much as a goodbye to the prince, she pushed through the crowd, towards the man with the orange hair and black merchant's cloak. Her mind became clearer as she moved, and by the time she reached him it felt as if she'd had nothing to drink at all.

"Ahem..."

She hadn't intended to sound so formal, but fear and nerves were working against her. The man turned to face her, and her heart dropped into her stomach. This was him. It was definitely him. The man from the picture, the one her mother had written about over and over again in her diary.

As his eyes met hers, his face sobered from its smile. But only for a second, and then it was back full force. "Hello there, little lady!"

"Gildarts Clive?" Cana asked, hating how shaky her voice was.

"Yes, that's me," he replied with a slight bow.

She took a deep breath. "My name is Cana. Cana Alberona."

He blinked, and for a moment his composure slipped. "Alberona..." he murmured. "Gentlemen, can you excuse me for a moment?"

The other merchants nodded, allowing Gildarts to step away, hand on Cana's elbow.

Once they were a safe distance out of earshot, he turned to her. "What game are you playing at, girl?"

She shook her head. "No games here. My mother's name was Cornelia, and she ran a bed and breakfast here in town."

"Impossible!" He leaned closer to her. "Cornelia died."

"Giving birth to me," Cana replied sharply, and watched as his face drained of all colour.

"So... you... you're..."

Cana smiled softly. "She wrote your name all over her diary."

Gildarts stepped back, hand on his face. "I have a daughter?"

"Is that a bad thing?" Cana asked, feeling a small stab of fear but determined not to show it.

He shook his head vehemently. "No!" And without warning, he swept her up in a hug. "I can't believe it!" Cana squeaked a little as he swung her around, happy tears streaming from his face. "You look exactly like her!"

Cana allowed herself to laugh slightly, and brought her arms around to hug her father.

But it was at that moment the clock struck midnight.

She gave a shriek, and disentangled herself. "I have to go!" She yelped. Leaving the father she just found wasn't exactly what she wanted to do, but she didn't want to be stuck in the middle of the ballroom in nothing but her skivvies.

Gildarts called out after her, but Cana wasn't paying attention. She grabbed the front of her ridiculous dress and hoisted it up, running as fast as she could. She made it almost all the way out, accidentally tripping over her own feet and stepping out of one shiny shoe.

Buy the twelfth stroke of the clock, Cana was already well out of the castle grounds. Luckily it was dark, so no one was around to see her flush with embarrassment when she was left in nothing but rather skimpy undergarments. Oh, and one glass shoe still sparkling.

"I look like a pin-up girl," Cana grumbled, fully intending to have words with her fairy godmother after this. Stalking back to the B&B, she silently climbed up through the window, now starting to feel the effects of partying.

Meanwhile, back at the castle, Gildarts had run out after his daughter, straining his eyes into the darkness to try and find her. When he saw nothing, he sat down on the marble stairs in a huff of despair.

"Oh, Cana," he sniffled. "How will I ever find you?"

"Well, there's her shoe."

Gildarts looked up in surprise to see the Prince, looking rather unsteady on his feet and pointing to something. Gildarts followed his finger to the floor, where a single glass slipper sat sparkling on the last stair.

The prince was wearing a sly look on his face. "I believe we can help each other out here."

xxx

The next morning, Cana was having the worst hangover of her life.

It wasn't even as if she'd had all that much to drink. Cana had done much worse in her life. But the stress and unbelievable wonder, not to mention the heartbreak and royal wine and now people wouldn't stop _yelling _at her – in was all accumulating into something awful.

"How could you abandon your duties?" Purehito demanded. Zancrow snickered, and Cana rubbed her temples. He was _not helping._

Despite her friends doing a wonderful job of running the B&B last night, Purehito was still furious. He demanded to know where Cana had been, and she refused to answer. "You will be punished for this, girl!"

Cana rolled her eyes, and walked out the door. Ignoring cries of '_Don't you walk away from me!' _she stomped all the way to her room by the fireplace.

Angrily, she shoved her few things into a bag. Someone appeared at the door, but she didn't take heed of their presence. "What are you doing?"

It was Rustyrose. "I'm leaving," Cana ground out. "What do you think?"

He laughed. "You can't leave. You belong to us."

Cana whipped on him, slapping his face so hard the sound rang across the room. "I belong to no one!" She bellowed. "Least of all to any of you! I can't take this anymore, and I don't _have_ to take this anymore!" She started to laugh. "I don't even know why I stayed so long in the first place." She breezed out the door, barely sparing him a second glance as he cradled his face. "Goodbye, Rustyrose."

Once outside, Cana took a deep, shuddering breath. Well. That was only the scariest thing she'd ever done.

And yet she felt so free. The entire world was now hers for the taking, if she wished. Even if her heart would always miss the place she called home.

"Cana!"

It was Levy. The little bluenette ran up to her, eyes wide. "I just talked to Lucy!"

Cana blinked. "I talk to Lucy all the time, why is this such a big deal?"

Levy stamped her foot. "Her father lives in the upper town, remember? She was talking to him this morning, and she said that heard a rumour from the him that the prince is leaving the castle, and searching the kingdom! To find the girl who owns a glass slipper!"

Cana started. It couldn't possibly be...

Levy was looking at her in wonder. "What did you do last night?"

Right then, a fanfare broke out among the streets. Cana looked up in surprise, and Levy squealed with delight. But it wasn't the prince making his way towards her, with a wide grin stretched across his face.

It was her father.

"Gildarts?" She breathed as he came closer. The man merely smiled and winked at her.

"Pardon me, miss," he said, bowing low. "But I believe you could help me find the owner of this rather remarkable shoe?"

Cana gasped as he pulled her other missing shoe. She looked at him with shining eyes. "How did you find me?"

He pinched her cheek. "You told me your name, silly. It wasn't very hard."

Cana blushed, and punched him lightly. Gildarts laughed, a loud a raucous laugh that made Cana think of her own. He threw an arm around her shoulders. "And now my precious daughter and I are going to take back the B&B!"

"We're _what?_"

It wasn't hard. In fact, it was the most vindicating experience of Cana's life to see Purehito's face as she and Gildarts bought the Hades B&B right out from under them. Cana made sure to give her ex-step-brothers an extra kick in the butt as they were cast out onto the street.

"How did you have that much money?" Cana asked her father. He pouted.

"What, you don't think I'm a good merchant?"

She shoved him. "Don't give me those puppy-dog eyes!"

He laughed her off. "Ah, you're right. Well, in terms on financial matters I had a little help." He pointed out the door, to where someone was waiting at the gate and leaning against it.

She stared at him, not quite making sense of everything. "What?"

"He offered to buy back the B&B for us, as long as he always gets to stay for free. Rather generous of a prince, don't you think?"

Bacchus grinned at her as she walked towards him. "Well, don't you look a little different in daylight."

She frowned at his satisfied smirk. "What are you playing at?"

He shrugged. He didn't look drunk anymore, in fact, he didn't even look like was suffering from a hangover. Cana resented him for it. "I like you, that's all."

"You like me?" She quirked an eyebrow.

"You're the only girl I know who can hold her own in a drinking match against me," he answered. "And, you're really hot. So..."

She punched him in the shoulder. Or at least she attempted to, because he caught her fist halfway and kissed her hand. Almost like a gentleman.

"_Hey!_ That's my daughter you're touching!"

They celebrated the re-opening of the B&B – now named _Cornelia's _– the same day they celebrated Cana and Bacchus' wedding. And if the bride and groom were a little tipsy standing on the dais, no one mentioned it. They only clapped louder.

Mirajane stood off to the side, clasping her hands together with tears sparkling – really, everything this woman does sparkles – in her eyes. "I love weddings!" She gushed, throwing rice at them.

Cana stood on the podium, hands raised for silence. As she opened her mouth, people leaned in, waiting for the wise words from their new princess.

She pumped her fist in the air.

"_FREE DRINKS FOR ALL!"_

_**THE END**_

Fern blinked. "I don't really think that's how Cinderella went, Mama."

Mirajane was too busy giggling to herself. She'd have to tell Cana this one later.

All three children tucked themselves in. "Mama, can you please give us another princess story? A real one, this time?" Mary Jane asked.

"Yeah, with knights and witches and dragons and romance," Fern added in.

"And true love's kiss." Hugo was nearly asleep. The others giggled at him.

"All right, deal," Mira answered.

**XxXxX**

**I love weddings. Drinks all around!**

**I seriously love Bacchus, though. Every time I see him, I get 'Why is The Rum Gone?' stuck in my head. On that note, does anyone else think Cana and Jack Sparrow would be a boss couple?**

**Anyone?**

**Ahh, the next story is indeed one with true loves kiss. And a princess that has dreams. Lots and lots and lots of dreams... **

**Prepare yourself for fluffiness! All that and more next time!**

**~CCS**


	17. Once Upon a Precognition

**A/N HI GUYS. I accidentaly uploaded part 2 of this by accident. Heh. Um. You didn't see anything...**

Mirajane and her children spent a good ten minutes trying to come up with what makes the perfect princess tale.

"Obviously a princess," was the first thing decided upon by Mary Jane. Followed by Hugo's input that she had to be snarky and stuck up, otherwise she couldn't possibly be a real princess.

This statement was also corroborated with by Fern, who claimed the princess also had to be stunningly beautiful with a powerful singing voice that could leave men begging for her presence. "Otherwise the knights in shining armour would have nothing to look forward to," she argued.

Mira then asked if he needed to be a prince. "No, just someone brave and pure of heart," Mary Jane thought.

"Someone like me!" Hugo added.

"Someone who deserves to be a prince, whether or not he was born to that station," Mira amended.

These points were followed by evil witches, magic spells, and true love's kiss. "There has to be a kiss, Mama, otherwise it doesn't count!" Fern begged.

"All right, all right," Mira smiled, opening her book. She'd gathered the information, and had the feeling she knew exactly who her princess and hero were going to be. Oh, she'd need a lot of fish for this one.

"Once upon a time, there was a queen who wanted a child very much..."

_**SLEEPING BEAUTY**_

Once upon a time, there was a queen who wanted a child very much. She was the queen of a magical and wonderful kingdom known as Extalia, inhabited by magical creatures such as herself, the Exceeds; and other things like fairies and dragons. This Queen's name was Chagot.

She used to watch the sunset, and pray for a daughter. Every night, she would whisper. "If I had a daughter, I would name her Charla, and she would be the most beautiful and beloved princess of all time."

Well, it was thanks to the magic of a falling star that Chagot got her wish, and within months a beautiful baby girl was born. As promised, Chagot named her Charla, and to celebrate her birth, threw the biggest party in Extalia history.

She specially invited the fairies. There were seven good fairies of Extalia, and all of them made a grand entrance as the Exceeds of the palace cheered for them.

Queen Chagot held her hands up for silence. "Thank you everyone, thank you," she said. The voices died down. "I want to thank everyone for being here today, to celebrate the birth of my precious daughter, Charla. And I especially want to thank the fairies, for gifting us with their presence!"

The seven fairies bowed low, sparkles falling from their fluttering wings. "We are glad to have warranted an invitation," said Erza Scarlet, the eldest fairy. "We wish to honour you by giving Charla a gift each."

Chagot bowed low. To be given a gift from a fairy was a great honour.

The first to step forward was Mirajane, clad in her beautiful robes of pink. "My gift to Charla," she proclaimed, "is the gift of _beauty!_"

A shower of pink sparkles cascaded down on the girl.

Erza was next, her red dress lovely. "My gift," she said, "is the gift of strength!" Then came red sparkles, and many ooh's and aah's from the crowd.

The next fairy came forward, this one of much smaller frame and wild blue hair. She raised her arms, robed in orange fabrics. "My gift," said the fair Levy, "is the gift of intelligence!" A shower of orange sparkles, and Levy clapped her hands. "Much more practical."

Rolling her eyes, the blond fairy Lucy came next in a gown of sunshine yellow. "My gift is the gift of song," she said, with shower of golden sparks. "May she have a voice as sweet as birdsong."

Evergreen, the green fairy was next. She tilted her head, clearly looking to outdo to rest. "My gift is the gift of clairvoyance!" She cried. "May Charla's dreams give her visions of the future!" There were gasps and applauding, and Evergreen smirked proudly.

Juvia, the blue fairy, approached slowly. She was still thinking of something to give. Raising her hands, she decided. "Juvia's gift will be the gift of kindness," she decided, blue sparkles falling from her hands.

The last and youngest fairy had yet to step forward, for she had no idea what gift to give to the young princess. She took a deep breath, ready to finally step forward. But just as she was about to, a strong wind swept through the palace, blowing out all the candles.

Queen Chagot gasped, the fairies throwing up shields of magic. The shields were quickly disintegrated however, by a magic that came in form of horrid, black and green smog.

Erza drew her sword, eyes flashing. "The Dark Fairy is here," she said darkly. The guests of the party huddled in fear.

A great cackling laughter echoed along the stone halls. _"Yes!"_ Came the cry, and in a whirlwind of smoky magic, a new fairy appeared.

This one was dressed from head to toe in robes of black, green, and deep violet. Her eyes were sharp, and her eyebrows even sharper, veering off into points. Thin lips pulled around yellow teeth, and her dark purple hair had a streak of white. But despite the hair and teeth, she looked young. Very young. And her voice, high pitched and full of sugary sweetness, was laughing like made.

"Don't look so surprised to see me!" She hissed. "Didn't I warrant an invitation?"

"Mary Hughes!" The Queen gasped, standing protectively in front of her baby.

"Stay back, witch!" Erza cried. "You have no business here!"

Mary Hughes dropped her smile, glaring at the fairies. "Oh, but I think I do have business here," she snarled. "Didn't want to invite me, eh, Queen Chagot? Didn't think I was good enough?"

"Please," the Queen sobbed. "Please don't her my daughter."

The dark fairy smirked. "As entertaining as watching you grovel is," she sneered, "I think I deserve to give your precious daughter a gift then, too, don't I?" She raised her hands in the air. Like a cyclone, the wind began to circle around them, clouds turning back and streaking with green lightning.

"When Princess Charla turns sixteen," she intoned, voice turning awful and demonic, "she will prick her paw on a spindle and die!"

Chagot screamed, but it was too late; the black clouds swarmed Charla and with a great flash of green light, Mary Hughes was gone.

Silence fell over the hall. Charla slept on, unaware of the awful curse that had just been placed upon her. Chagot was frozen, shaking like a leaf. She raised a paw.

"Everyone..." she whispered. Then she found her voice, and it rang with clarity. "Everyone in the kingdom of Extalia! From this day forward, all spindles are banned! There shall be no more made, and all will be burned!"

"Ahem..."

Everyone turned to look. It was the youngest fairy, who had been hiding behind a pillar. She pushed a lock of indigo hair behind her ear.

"I have not yet given my gift."

"Wendy!" The Queen gasped. "can you break Mary Hughes' spell?"

Wendy shook her head. "I cannot undo what another fairy has done," she said remorsefully. "But I can help." Raising her thin arms, and bathing the castle in a pale purple light, she spoke softly.

"When she pricks her paw, Charla will not die; instead she and all of Extalia will fall into a deep slumber. Only a kiss, the kiss of true love, can awaken her."

There was a collective gasp from the audience. Chagot nodded her head serenely. "Thank you, Miss Wendy, for your kindness. I am forever in your debt." But this did not satisfy the Queen, who still looked as if her heart would break. "From this day out, spindles are banned in this kingdom!"

The very next day, all of the spindles in the kingdom were brought forth, and burned in a giant fire in the castle courtyard. Queen Chagot watched with tears in her eyes. "This is for your safety, my darling," she whispered.

The seven good fairies watched with concern. "We must do something," Wendy murmured. "No matter how many precautions the Queen will make, Mary Hughes will still find a way. She never gives up once she has a grudge."

Erza nodded. "As good fairies, it is our duty to stop the Evil Fairy from whatever schemes she might conduct."

The other fairies nodded in agreement. Only Lucy had a thought. "So, then, what are we gonna do?"

It was a long thought out discussion, and when the fairies finally came up with the answer, it was not a happy one.

"No!" Chagot sobbed. "I won't let you take away my baby!"

Mirajane hugged her. "I know it's difficult, but it's the only way to keep her safe."

With a hand on her shoulder, Erza spoke. "It is only for sixteen years. Once the time of the curse is past, you will see your daughter again. I promise you we will keep her safe."

"Oh, I believe you will keep her safe." Chagot sniffed. "It's just... I waited so long for a daughter and now I finally have her, and she's leaving me."

Lucy felt the woman's pain. "It's only for a little while," she said. "You don't know how time flies when children are growing up. Sixteen years will pass in the blink of an eye."

Xxx

_Sixteen years later_

Mary Hughes screamed in anger, throwing her magic wand across the room. Hissing, it spat sparks out at her. She sent it a rude hand gesture. "Why?" She roared. "Why haven't I been able to find that wretched brat?"

The wand, shaped like a finger pointing up at her, said nothing. Mary Hughes cast it the evil eye.

"I will have my revenge against the kingdom of Extalia," she ground out. "They call me petty? I'll show them petty. Once I get my hands on that little princess, the entire kingdom shall die!"

_You forget,_ the wand seemed to say. Mary Hughes deflated. "Oh, yes. That's right. Thanks to that Wendy brat, they won't die. No, just sleep for 100 years!" There was anger still in her gaze, but it was not boiling rage anymore. It had become cool, calculating fierceness.

"I have to find the princess and prick her, and then find her true love and put an end to him before he destroys everything I have worked for." She nodded. "All right, that's the master plan!"

And she set to work, cackling.

Meanwhile, somewhere deep in the forest, in a little house where there was no magic whatsoever, Princess Charla woke up.

She rolled out of bed, primly patting down the various ruffles in her fur. Then she ran a comb across her head though she didn't need it, and placed a small pink bow by her ear. Looking into the solitary mirror of her bedroom, she closed hazel eyes and tried to remember her dreams of the night before.

They were, as always, fuzzy and hazy. But ever since Charla could remember, her dreams had come true. Literally; it was not a figure of speech. The things she saw in her dreams usually happened. Like déjà vu.

Sighing softly, Charla hopped down off the chair and headed down the wooden steps to see her family.

"Morning, Charla!" Wendy cried happily, catching her up in a hug. Charla struggled, but gave in with a sigh.

"Morning, Wendy," she answered stiffly. "What's for breakfast?"

"Pancakes!" Called Lucy from the kitchen, where she and Levy were hovering over the pan. Charla nodded, pouring herself some tea.

"So," Erza said, sitting nicely down. "Did you have any dreams last night?"

"Of course I did, I have dreams every night," Charla scoffed. Erza looked at her. "Oh, all right. Yes, I had a strange dream about a great fire in a kingdom courtyard. I didn't recognize it though. What do you think it means?"

"Nothing," Erza replied quickly. But she wasn't quick enough; Charla caught the fearful glance she gave Lucy. "I'm sure it meant nothing at all, Charla."

"Right," Charla huffed. "Just give me the pancakes."

She wasn't a dumb girl, she knew something was up. Her mentors had never been particularly good at keeping secrets. Poor Wendy looked like she was about to burst.

But it wasn't until shortly after breakfast Charla realized exactly what was going on, when all seven girls shoved her unceremoniously outside with demands to pick some flowers and not be back until dinnertime. As they slammed the wooden door to the hut closed, Charla remembered that tomorrow was her birthday.

"Hm, so that's what they're planning," she mused, unable to keep the catlike grin off her face. With a sigh, she turned and headed into the woods, woven basket swinging from her hands.

Charla had always loved the woods. They were not a thick, dark forest; but instead it was light and airy with plenty of wildlife. Small as she was, Charla had no problem manoeuvring herself across the terrain with her agile back paws and long, white tail.

Coming across as small cluster of berries, Charla stopped to pick a few. Wildberries were one of the few things she liked as much as tea.

Today, Charla knew exactly where she was headed. If her mentors wanted her gone the entire day, then the entire day she would disappear. There was river not too far from where she was now where the flowers grew in abundance; she could easily spend the afternoon sitting and daydreaming.

But when Charla approached the river, she heard a multitude of strange noises she wasn't used to, or didn't know how to describe. And all of them seemed to be coming from the small, furry blue creature jumping around in the water.

Charla squeaked and ducked behind the bushes. Whatever that was, jumping around and splashing profusely, it did not look friendly.

"_Fish!"_ Came the garbled cry. Charla blinked. This thing... was after fish?

Then it burst out of the water and Charla was amazed to see it was an Exceed, just like herself. Only, this one was exclaiming for joy at the slippery, silvery fish caught between it forepaws. Happily, it blinked wide eyes and swallowed the fish whole.

Slowly, Charla peered out around the bush. There was no possible way this thing wasn't friendly. "Hello?"

The blue cat made a startled noise, and promptly fell back into the river. Charla let out a cry and ran towards the bank. She reached it just was it was climbing out. "Are you all right?" She asked, timidly taking a step back from the soaking wet Exceed. It shook its fur, grinning widely up at her.

"Yeah, I'm all good! Happens all the...tiiime..." it slowed to a halt, staring at her. Charla realized, with flushing cheeks, that it was definitely a male cat. She turned her back quickly. The other jumped to his feet. "Hey, who are you?"

She scoffed. "How rude." Turning to face him, she spoke in haughty tones. "My name is Charla. I live in these woods."

"Really?"He looked excited. "My name is Happy! I live with my mom and dad in a farm just a few miles over that way." He pointed over beyond the river. "See? Out that way! Wanna come see it?"

Charla sputtered. "What? But – I just met you!"

He was looking very much like he wanted to say_, So?_ Charla turned pointedly in the other direction. She couldn't believe she was really having this conversation with a stranger of all people. And a blue stranger, no less!

All of a sudden, Charla had a flash of memory. She...did she know him? Quickly turning around to face him, she studied his eyes, wide and round and watery. "Have we met before?" She asked slowly. He blinked.

"Um, I don't think, so... I would remember if we did!" He beamed.

Charla shook her head. She remembered now. "No, we have! I've met you before, in a dream!"

Happy faltered. "Uh, what?"

Suddenly, Charla remembered that not all people could see the future in dreams like she could. So wrapped up in trying to remember where she'd seen Happy before, Charla had somehow forgotten. Now she felt rather ashamed of blurting out something so personal.

But it was true! Charla had seen him in many a dream before, maybe just for a flash of time or a small conversation. With wide, white wings as pure as angel's, as was the magic of Exceeds. The magic that had evaded her for so long. She'd seen him flying through the air, sailing towards her...freefalling into oblivion...

Charla felt all her breath rush from her lungs in one swoop as the terrible memory of that particular prophetic dream came back to her. Blanching, she backed away from the confused Happy.

"I...I have to go," she stammered. Turning tail, she ran back into the woods, forgetting all about her woven basket.

"Wait!" Happy cried out after her. Sadly, he knelt down and picked up the basket. "I didn't even learn your name."

Charla raced through the underbrush, snapping away twigs and leaves. All of the memories of her dream had come back to her, like a punch to the gut. When her house came into view, she let out a cry of relief. Racing in, she slammed the door behind her.

"_Wendy!"_

The youngest girl was there in a heartbeat, holding the shivering cat close to her. "Charla, are you all right?" She gasped. "What happened?"

Trembling, Charla told Wendy everything, about the entire dream. "And there was a great castle crumbling, stones falling and green smoke going up to the sky. And that other Exceed, the blue one. He was there, too!"

Erza had come to stand over them, and was now looking at Wendy with worry shining in her eyes. Charla looked from one to the other, sniffling lightly. "Are you two...okay?"

Erza sighed, and knelt down. "Listen, Charla," she said, and her voice sounded tired. "There is something we need to tell you, something we should have a long time ago. But please just remember, it was for your protection."

Charla blinked widely. What were they talking about?

Then Erza clapped her hands together fiercely. "Family meeting time!"

xxx

"I'm a _what?!"_

"A princess!" Mirajane exclaimed happily. "More specifically, the Princess of Extalia."

This was almost too much to take. "And this evil fairy is out trying to kill me?"

"Mary Hughes can hold a grudge," Lucy said knowledgably. "She won't stop until she gets her way. You aren't safe until the sun goes down tomorrow."

"Yes, once your birthday is passed you will be safe and free to return to the palace."

Charla sighed, slinking down in her chair. Her tail twitched irritably. "I can't believe none of you told me this..." she mumbled softly. "Not even you, Wendy? We're supposed to be best friends."

Wendy was on the verge of tears. "I'm sorry, Charla," she wailed. "I would have told you, but it just wasn't safe!"

"Is that your answer for everything?" Charla yelled. Standing up on her chair, she balled her paws into tiny fists. "That it wasn't safe? Is that it?"

"Charla, what are you saying?" Mira held out her hands. "You are angry, you don't know..."

"_No!"_

She stamped her foot, a childish gesture. "I can't believe all of you lied to me! You're the worst! Just the _worst!"_

And she ran out into the night air, into the forest and away from the cries of her family.

On the roof of the house, someone smiled.

**XxXxX**

**So, what does everyone think? Wondering why Mary Hughes is the dark fairy? Well, because all of Charla's plot and development happened in the Edolas arc...Hughes was a bad guy in the Edolas arc...and Mary Hughes is the girl version of him. So by my logic Mary Hughes = Maleficent! :D**

**And I can promise Lily makes his appearance. Because I love him. Next time~!**

**~CCS**


	18. True Love's First Kiss

**Ahem. Due to my own unfortunate stupidity,** **I uploaded the wrong chapter last night. Pfft. So please, my dearest readers, jump back to chapter 17 as it is now the proper document! And then come read this! My sincerest apologies for the touble! *bows***

General of the Queen's Army Pantherlily paced back and forth in the morning sunlight. He knew exactly what day it was; was there a single being in all of Extalia that did not know what day it was? Sixteen years since the birth of the beautiful Princess Charla. Sixteen years since anyone had seen or heard from her. This day, the day she was to return. This day also, the day of the curse.

Lily's nerves had been shot all week. Completely unable to sleep the previous night, he had stayed up until all unholy hours and finally collapsed to sleep, only to wake up minutes later plagued by nightmares.

The door creaked open, and the Queen emerged slowly from her chambers. She caught sight of Lily pacing, and smiled dully at him. "Couldn't sleep?"

He noted the pronounced shadows under her eyes. "From the looks of it, neither could you, my lady."

Queen Chagot waved a hand at him. "Come, my people need me."

Lily watched her as he walked dutifully behind. The Queen had not smiled a true smile in sixteen years, not since the day she lost her daughter. Every day, she seemed to fade a little more, and soon Lily feared there would be nothing left. He wished Charla would come back.

_One more day_, he told himself. One more day was all they would have to endure.

In the courtyard of the castle, an unfamiliar scent reached his nose. Before he could even draw his sword, however, the air around them snapped and out of nowhere, seven fairies came tumbling.

The Queen gasped. "Fairies!" She cried. Lily narrowed his eyes. The princess was not supposed to be back yet, so there was no way the fairies were here to deliver any good news.

"Charla ran away!"

Ah. Just as he'd suspected.

xxx

Charla sniffled and wiped a tear from her eye. She was trying very hard not to cry, because crying was for little girls and she was anything but. Taking deep, gasping breaths, she tried to calm herself.

"It's not that bad," she said stoically. "It really isn't all that big of a deal. So I'm a princess. So what? I'll simply go back home and-"

She glanced around. Dread settling into a small pit of despair in her stomach. Go back? How could she, when she had no idea of where she was?

Something snapped in the trees behind her, and she leapt away, gasping. Heart pounding, she tried to pull out the wings on her back. But, as always, she was incapable of doing so.

And then whatever was rustling fell forwards, smacking onto the ground by her feet. Charla shrieked.

"_You?"_

The blue Exceed jumped to his feet. "Nameless beautiful cat!" He cried joyously. "What a surprise, seeing you again!"

Charla felt her eye twitch. Tears threatened to fall over her eyelids again. "S-stupid! That's not my name!"

"Oh?" he blinked widely. "Then what is your name? I'm Happy!"

"I know," she grumbled. "My name is C-"

She stopped. Should she address herself as the princess? Since, after all that was what she was? Did she want this silly peasant cat with the surprisingly sweet attitude knowing who and what she really was?

"My name is Charla," she finished.

Happy squealed in delight. "Charla!" He cried, much too loudly. "You have such a beautiful name!"

She ignored him. "Now, tell me. Do you know the layout of these woods?"

"Uhh..." He scrunched up his nose. "I know where there's fish!"

Charla smacked the side of her face with her paw. _The idiot_.

"Don't you live near the river?" he asked thoughtfully. Charla's ears perked up.

"Yes, that's right! I do!" She immediately started walking. "If you can get me to the river, I can easily find my way from there." She walked with a purpose, and Happy trailed after her, skips in his steps.

No more than two minutes into their quest, however, had passed before Charla got the distinct impression that someone was following her. She reached out and grabbed Happy, clinging to his necktie. "Do you hear that?" she hissed.

"Hear what?" he asked, a million times too loudly. Charla shushed him, but it was too late. Something black and feathery came flying out of the trees, with all the force of a typhoon, and swept Charla right up.

She shrieked, waving her arms out every which way. On the ground below her, Happy cried out and tried to reach up to her. _"Help!"_

"_Charla!" _he yelled. He was about to leap into the sky after her, but a creature jumped out behind him and struck him across the head. He fell to the ground, vision blurring, and the last thing he saw was Charla as she disappeared into the clouds above.

xxx

The small Exceed groaned, rubbing her head as she struggled to take in her surroundings. "Where am I?" Charla murmured to herself. It was a stone castle, very dark...in fact, she could hardly see a thing.

Vaguely, somewhere in her memory, Charla could remember being here. But when? And why? Standing, she began to make her way down the hall, calling out as she did so. "How did I get here?"

Then she remembered. "Happy!" The stupid blue cat, she'd been with him, trying to get home! Charla broke into a run, the sudden memories of what her family told her coming back.

"Is this the castle of the dark fairy?"

"_This way, child."_

Charla whirled around to face the voice, but nothing was there. Shaking heavily now, she turned and ran in the opposite direction. Again, Charla wished she could use her stupid wings. So blinded was she by fear that she didn't even notice she'd been running up the stairs and it wasn't until she reached the highest point of the tower that she stopped.

Sitting in the middle of the plain, simple room, was a spindle. Or at least, Charla supposed it was a spindle. She also spotted the small, Exceed-sized bed in the other corner of the room. Charla crossed her arms.

"Very funny. I suppose you think I'm going to fall for your trick?"

Out of the shadows, a woman materialized. "What trick, dear child?"

Her tone was sweet, but Charla wasn't fooled. She rolled her pretty eyes. "My family told me all about your silly plan. You think you're going to get me to touch that thing?"

Mary Hughes' lip curled, and her voice lost its sweetness. "Ah, yes. The Good Fairies. So, they were the ones hiding you all this time?" She walked slowly around the room. "Well, it's no wonder I couldn't find you. The seven of them together have some crazy powers."

"Their power is beautiful," Charla retorted. "Yours is crazy."

Mary Hughes sighed. "Oh, you are just like every other blasted little creature in this kingdom. Don't like me because I'm different, I'm dark, I'm twisted. You think that everything is different is wrong, don't you, precious princess?"

"No." Charla stood up tall. "I don't. It's not being different that makes you so evil, it's your willingness to kill! You would end a life with the flick of a finger, and not even give it a second thought!"

"Only because they were cruel to me!" Mary Hughes screamed back, her calm face suddenly twisted into that of a hideous beast. Charla shrank away in fear. "Oh, yes, cower from me, child! Cower from me just like everyone else! You're all the same, all of you, every last one! I hate you! _I hate you!"_

The Dark Fairy whipped her wand from under her robes. Pointing it at Charla she crowed, "Do as I say, Princess!"

Charla suddenly felt herself freeze. She tried to move, to twitch, anything – but it was like her body was refusing to obey her demands. With a twist of the wand, Charla's foot moved forward.

"_No!"_

"Oh, yes." Mary Hughes' face was still warped. "Yes, fall under my spell, beautiful princess." Step after step, Charla came closer and closer to the spindle, until her paw was outreached for it, only inches away.

Mary Hughes leaned forward. "Just one more thing," she cooed. "I need to know who your true love is."

"Why?" Charla managed to gasp out. Mary Hughes laughed.

"Because he's the only one who can break the spell!" She flicked Charla's nose lightly. "Bet you didn't know that, did you? Your precious Wendy, oh, she has this ridiculous notion that true love can heal all hurt."

Wendy, with her silly ideals, all her beautiful hopes and dreams. Charla felt tears prick her eyes. She might never see her precious Wendy again.

Shrugging, Mary Hughes pressed a finger to her forehead.

With a great flash of pain, images began to seep through Charla's mind. Of her past, her present, of what could possibly be her future. She caught a flash of the blue cat, fuzzy, but becoming clearer. She saw herself meeting him at the river, dancing with him at all ball, his eyes wide as saucers as she flew up into the air and away from him.

"Happy," she gasped out. Mary Hughes released her hand with a gasp.

"So that's him," she said, her face now back to normal. "Happy, huh? How silly, a princess like you in love with a peasant. And by the look on your face, you don't even know it yet!" She giggled. "Too bad you'll never have the chance to find out."

"What are you going to do?" Charla demanded. She was positively sick with fear.

"You mean after you prick your paw and fall asleep?" Mary Hughes asked. "I'm going to hunt him down. Find him." She leaned right up to Charla's ear, whispering. "Then I'll kill him."

And she pushed Charla forward, causing the princess to impale her paw on the spindle.

At that exact moment, in Extalia's castle courtyard, every single exceed fell down, clattering to the stone floors. Wendy gasped. Erza bent down, checking their pulse. "They're asleep!" She exclaimed fear written all over her face.

All seven fairies wore looks of horror. "Mary Hughes!" They gasped, turning to the far distant horizon, where with their magical vision, they could just see the great dark castle, and a swarm of crows crashing out of a window with cackling, maniacal laughter.

Erza cast a wild glance at all of them. "It happened," she gasped. "Charla is-"

"And now Mary Hughes is going to be looking for the only one who can break the spell!" Lucy cried. Erza turned to Wendy.

"You knew her best, Wendy. Can you use your magic to find her true love?"

Tears glimmering in her eyes, Wendy nodded. "I...I think so."

Concentrating with all her might, Wendy cast her mind out. The circle of fairies began to shimmer, and in the middle of the courtyard, disappeared with a great violet flash.

xxx

Happy sat in the middle of the great forest, still in shock as he stared up at the sky. "Charla," he whispered, fat tears leaking from his eyes. He'd let her get away. She'd been right there, right _there,_ and he'd let her get away.

Sniffling to himself, Happy bowed his head. "I'm so useless."

Right at that moment, a great flash of violet lit up the air in front of him and seven fairies tumbled out of midair. Happy gasped, jumping to his feet. "Who – who are you?"

"Oh, good, he isn't asleep!" One of them yelled. Jumping to their feet, the redheaded one looked around wildly.

"Do you see Mary Hughes?" She demanded.

"Who is Mary Hughes?" Happy asked weakly.

"We got here first!" Someone with blonde hair pumped her fist in the air. "Yes, the powers of good prevail!"

"Who are all of you?" Happy yelled.

Each fairy stopped, finally really looking at him. "I'm Mirajane," the one in pink introduced kindly.

"Erza."

"Levy."

"Lucy!"

"Evergreen, and don't you forget it."

"Juvia!"

"And I'm Wendy," the last one said, looking very distraught. "Please, Happy. You are our only hope. You have to save Charla!"

Save Charla? Happy wiped the tears from his face. "Okay."

All seven fairies cheered. Erza clapped her hands, straight to business as usual. "We need to get to Mary Hughes' castle! From there, Happy, you will make your way to the top of the highest tower. Charla will be there."

"And then what do I do?"

Erza smiled cryptically. "You'll know."

"But there's more," Evergreen interrupted. "You'll probably need to defeat Mary Hughes in order to get to Charla in the first place."

"Ah, yes. We will assist," Erza promised. "But all of our powers combined are not as strong as Mary Hughes. Her power is run on pure insanity."

"Then how am I supposed to defeat her?" Happy cried.

"Like this!" Mirajane snapped her fingers. Happy's body glowed pink, and she declared, "I bestow upon you the gift of the fairies protection!"

Erza nodded, handing him a small, Exceed-sized sword. "I give you the Sword of Honour. It is the only thing that can pierce her armour."

"And this is the Shield of Truth!" Lucy and Juvia held out the shield. "It is the only thing that can protect against her fire."

"And here's a book," Levy added, handing one to him.

Everyone stared at her.

"What? Books are useful!"

"Are you ready for this, Happy?" Erza asked. Happy gulped, staring ahead. It was terrifying, and daunting, and he was really following the instructions of seven crazy women that fell from the sky. He should have turned tail and ran.

But this was to save Charla. "I'm ready!"

xxx

Mary Hughes circled the castle, staring predatorily at the ground below her. Oh the other fairies had gotten to him first. She couldn't find him now, but that was all right. Being the hero he was, the stupid little blue cat would certainly show up soon to try and save his lady love.

She scoffed. Love made people so weak.

And sure enough, there he was. The tiny thing, flanked by the seven brightly dressed fairies. They stood out amongst the forest of black thorns she'd called up. Impressive they'd gotten past it. They wouldn't get past her, though.

"I've come for Princess Charla!" The cat yelled.

"Good luck trying to get her!" Mary Hughes called back from her perch. "She makes a lovely piece of furniture, you know."

Happy yelled in anger, rushing towards her. Mary Hughes rolled her eyes. "Right then. Let's get this over with."

With a great column of green fire, Mary Hughes stretched and pulled until she had taken the form of a monster, like a dragon but darker, more twisted. She drew back her head, and breathed fire down on all below her. When it dissipated, she was unsurprised to see the fairies had flown out of the way. But the flash of a shield protecting the cat had her hissing.

"The Shield of Truth!" She roared. Leaping from the castle, she flew straight towards them. "Now, Happy!" She heard someone cry, but paid no heed. She focused only on the little cat; his eyes scrunched shut, as he threw a toothpick at her.

Said toothpick stuck into her chest. Mary Hughes stopped mid-flight, glancing down at herself. "Oh, dear," she said.

It was the Sword of Honour, downsized a bit, but the blasted thing nonetheless. Slowly, Mary Hughes shrank back to her regular size, the sword now a little larger than it had been when she was in her massive scaly state.

"Oh, dear," she repeated.

Happy shivered. "She's not bleeding."

Erza shook her head. "She won't die," she said grimly. "The Sword of Honour does not kill. It will simply drain her powers."

Somehow, Happy felt a little better knowing this woman wasn't going to die because of him. The fairy sank to the ground, face getting pale.

Lucy gasped. "Wait! I just realized – the castle is magic! Once Mary Hughes completely loses her powers, it will crumble – taking Charla down with it!"

Everyone cried out in dismay. Happy looked up to the highest tower, where he could just barely make out the window. It was so high, but...

"I'll get her," he promised, and with a flash of light, wings appeared on his back. He leapt into the air, flying towards the tower.

xxx

Inside, everything was quiet. The room seemed dead almost, and Happy was afraid to make a noise. Stealthily, he made his way to the bed where Charla was sleeping.

She looked so beautiful, peaceful and serene; but that was only her face. Happy realized with a sick stomach that her paw was mangled, white fur marred with dried blood. He swallowed, leaning over her.

"Charla?" He whimpered. "Please, please wake up."

She did nothing. Frustrated, Happy looked down. They were running out of time, the castle would fall at any minute. He looked through everything he'd brought with him, the sword would do no good, or the shield, and fairies protection was useless on him.

There was only the book Levy gave him. In desperation, he opened it, glancing at the illustrations. _True love's kiss can break any curse_, the caption read. Happy looked at the picture of the knight in shining, fiery armour kissing the princess, who's blonde locks spilled all over the pillow.

"Any curse?" he wondered aloud. He looked back at Charla. Well, he doubted he was her true love, but...

He leaned forward and kissed her softly.

Her eyes fluttered immediately, and she looked up at him in wonder. "You..." she whispered. Happy let out a cry of joy.

"Charla! You're awake!"

But their joy was short-lived. For right as the curse was lifted, the last piece of Mary Hughes power remaining was ripped away, and the magic holding the walls of the castle together disappeared.

"What's happening?" Charla cried, as the castle walls began to shake. Without answering, Happy grabbed her right off the bed and without warning, jumped out the window.

Charla screamed, clutching to him. All around them, bricks and stone fell from the sky. Happy, with his wings out, navigated through them, but carrying Charla's weight, it was hard. "You have to open your wings!" he yelled to her.

"I can't!" Tears began slipping from her eyes. "I've never been – I just can't!"

"Yes, you can!" Happy said fiercely to her. "You can, Charla! You just have to have the faith in yourself that you can! That's where true magic comes from!" He stared into her eyes. "You can do anything if you believe!"

Charla felt something warm stirring in her stomach, something that sent her cheeks aflame and heart aflutter. Her tears still flowing, she squeezed her eyes shut.

And with a great burst of light, wings sprang from her back.

They flew through the rubble, hand in hand, coming to light on the ground as the fairies cheered. Wendy leapt forward, catching the princess up in a great hug.

"I love you, Charla," She whispered.

Charla sobbed openly into Wendy's shoulder. "Me, too."

xxx

There was a great feast at the castle when Charla returned, and she sat at the head of the table next to the Queen. At one side of the table, Pantherlily sat grinning as he ate an entire plate of kiwis. On the other side, all seven fairies sat in a row, grinning and laughing as they sparkled and ate. Mary Hughes was, of course, not present. She was in the dungeons in a cell next to a recently captured rogue knight named Dan Straight; who was, according to Pantherlily, "torture enough."

Charla sipped her Darjeeling tea, eyes wandering as they had been all night to the Exceed sitting beside Pantherlily. She had to say, he looked rather dashing in his red cape. His parents, too, were present, gushing constantly about how beautiful the palace was and how different things were here in the castle.

Happy, for himself, simply looked like his namesake as he chowed down on all the fish he could eat. Charla remembered the spell Mary Hughes had used to find him, and how she'd seen flashes of her own future. Charla had had many dreams of the future before but they'd always been in the form of riddles. Those images, they were clear as day.

She supposed that Mary Hughes had been right. If Happy had been the one to break the curse, then he was her true love.

Standing, Charla pulled up the front of her dress as she walked around the table to where Happy was sitting. She held out her bandaged paw to him. "Would you like to dance?"

Grinning, he leapt to his feet, and the two of them were off on the dance floor.

Mirajane smiled in happiness, watching them. They were so cute, really...now...if only her dress wasn't so...

Twirling a finger, Mira murmured, "Pink!" And with a pop, the dress changed into a pink one.

Erza caught the change, frowning. Now, really... "Red!"

The dress changed again.

Lucy glared at the both of them. "Hey! It was yellow first!" With a point, she sent it back to its original colour. "Yellow!"

"Red!"

Evergreen smirked challengingly at Erza. "Green!"

"Red!"

"Pink!"

"Yellow!"

"Blue!"

"Orange!" Juvia and Levy joined in, giggling.

"Green!"

"Blue!"

"Pink!"

"_Purple!"_

_**THE END**_

"And they all lived happily ever after," Mirajane said to a cloud of ridiculously loud laughter.

"That was perfect, Mama!" Mary Jane gasped in laughter. "Just perfect!"

"What colour was her dress in the end?" Fern barely managed to ask through her giggles. Hugo was too far gone to even make a statement.

"It was a perfect replica of the rainbow," Mary Jane answered.

"Nonsense," Mira said. "It was pink."

And they all started laughing again.

**XxXxX**

**Because everyone knows Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather are the best part of Sleeping Beauty.**

**Have to say, I'm proud of this one! Now, what's in store for next time? My favourite fairy tale of all time, that's what! A cold-hearted queen kidnaps a young boy with his heart frozen, and the little girl of his childhood searches forever to bring him home. All of the love! Next time!**

**~CCS**


	19. Frozen

**Again, guys, so sorry about the mix-up before. Chapters 17 and 18 are now in their proper place! :D**

**And now, finally – the one some of you have been waiting for since the beginning! Enjoy!**

**XxXxX**

Mirajane Strauss headed to her children's bedroom nearly bubbling over with excitement. She had been looking through the book of tales for a new story, and had come across one that had truly set her imagination on fire.

Entering the room, she was pleased to find each child sitting and waiting for her. She smiled sweetly at them. "Well, don't you three look like angels?"

"What are you gonna tell us tonight?" Fern asked brightly. Mira took a deep breath, sitting down.

"Children, this story is going to be a little more mature than the others," she said truthfully. "It might be a little bit scary. Is that all right with you?"

They nodded, eyes wide. Mirajane allowed herself a small smile; she was desperate to read them this story. "Okie-dokie then," she settled down in the chair. "Once upon a time..."

_**THE SNOW QUEEN**_

Once upon a time, in a faraway land, there lived a small town in an icy village where it snowed almost all year round. The only break the villagers ever saw from the eternal whiteness was those few months in summertime, spent in games outside and picking strawberries to make cakes.

In this village, there were two families who lived very close to one another. So close, in fact, that it you opened both windows on the side of each house, you could reach out and touch the other.

One family, who lived on the left side, had a little girl named Erza. The other family, who lived on the right, had a young boy named Jellal. The two were near-inseparable best friends. They did everything together, and after a time the villagers began to refer to them as a single entity, 'Jerza.'

These two little children also had another passion; the flower beds outside their houses. There were a multitude of flowers they had planted and nursed together, but Erza's favourites were the red roses. Jellal also claimed them to be his favourite because they matched the colour of her hair.

But there was something about this village that not everyone knew. Just a few miles away, there lived an evil creature known only as 'Zeref.' Some would even refer to him as the Devil himself. And this creature, holed up away in his cave, created things with evil magic just for fun.

One of these times, he created a magic mirror. This mirror had the power to distort the reflection, to make whoever looked into it see only the evil and ugly things in the world, to magnify everything bad and make it much worse. He continued to look in this mirror, every day, until finally not even he could stand the sights and smashed the mirror on the ground.

The shards of the mirror, some so small they were like a fine dust, were swept up by the winds and carried across the lands. They landed in people's eyes and in their hearts, making them cruel and heartless, blind to all the beauty in the world.

One particular night, in the small village, Jellal and Erza were sitting at the fireplace with his grandmother, listening to her tell stories. The one she was telling on this frosty winter's eve was the story of the Snow Queen.

"Is she beautiful?" the young Erza asked, eyes wide with wonder. Grandmother Fernandes chuckled at her face, and ruffled the girl's red hair.

"Exceedingly beautiful," she answered, "With hair black as midnight and eyes like ice. One kiss, and she could numb you forever from the cold. Two kisses, and you would forget everything, every memory you've ever had would disappear. Three kisses," she snapped her fingers. "And you die."

Erza and Jellal gasped in awe, clinging to each other in delighted fright. Looking out the window into the dark night, Jellal squinted his eyes. Leaping from his seat, he dashed toward the window and thrust it open.

In the moonlight, he could just barely make out a woman, standing by the road with a horse-drawn carriage. She tilted her chin at him, black hair blowing in the wind and icy eyes flashing.

"I see her!" Jellal gasped, gesturing for them to come. "Look, there, I see the Snow Queen!"

At that moment, a gust of wind hit his face, blowing several small particles with them. He cried out, jumping down from the window and rubbing his face. "Ouch...something got in my eye..."

What Jellal hadn't realized was that the gust of wind had actually been carrying shards of Zeref's mirror. As the pieces lodged into his eyes, a few more lodged into his heart, slowly turning it to a lump of cold, hard lead.

"Jellal, are you okay?" Erza gasped, hopping towards him. She reached a hand to his face, but he smacked it away. Grandmother Fernandes gasped.

"Jellal, do not treat your friend like that," she scolded. Jellal began to laugh, rolling his bloodshot eyes at the two of them.

"Geez, Grandma," he snorted. "As if _you_ have the right to tell me what to do."

Erza and Grandmother Fernandes exchanged fearful glances. "Jellal," Erza asked softly. He turned to her now, fixing his cold gaze on her pale face. He didn't even bother to answer her, merely turned away and walked outside.

"Jellal!" Erza followed him outside. "Where are you going? It's freezing out!"

"Better than in there!" he snarled aggressively. "You silly people. You are all so _ugly_." Giggling childishly at Erza's face, he caught sight of the flower beds. "Oh, look, Erza!" He said mockingly. "Our roses!"

"Jellal, please don't," Erza gasped, sensing what he was about to do.

"Don't do what? You mean this?" Jellal raised his foot and stomped on the flowers.

"_Stop!" _Erza screamed, racing towards him. Jellal threw out his arm and pushed her. She landed hard on the ground, scraping her hand on the ice. He laughed.

"These roses," he sighed, continuing to grind them into the dirt. "Didn't we love them so much? Because they were so beautiful?" Casting his eyes around wildly, he screamed. "_Nothing _is beautiful anymore! What did I ever _see_ in this place?"

Erza was sobbing. Grandmother Fernandes watched from the door, horrified at what she saw. Jellal laughed horribly at the two.

"Everything is so ugly," he delivered one final kick to the flowerbeds effectively destroying everything he and Erza had ever made. Turning on his heel, he stomped off into the night.

Kicking stones as he went, Jellal stumbled a bit. Furiously, he rubbed at his eyes. The small mirror shards still sat, clouding his vision. Jellal didn't even realize where he was until he looked up and saw the edge of the village, where the forest began.

"All right," he growled. "Finally I can actually _go_ somewhere other than this backwards town."

"Excuse me, child?"

He whipped around. Standing by the edge of the river, completely off the road, was a beautiful, white, shining carriage. Jellal's eyes widened; for this was the carriage of the Snow Queen, and thus unaffected by the mirror's magic. Jellal was completely in awe of the beautiful sight.

A woman stepped down off the carriage, holding a white fur coat around her body. Her hair was long, and black as midnight. Her eyes flashed like steel, and when she approached him, grabbing his chin, her fingers were numbingly cold.

"I see you have been taken by Zeref's mirror," she said sweetly. Jellal blinked.

"Who's?"

"Never mind that." The Snow Queen bent down, kissing him on the cheek. "Would you like to come away with me, Jellal Fernandes?"

Instantly the cold left Jellal. He stopped shivering, unaware that he had even started. "I thought you were just a story," he managed, still cruel with his lead heart. But the Snow Queen merely patted his head.

"Then where do the stories come from, do you wonder?" She asked.

Jellal smiled shakily. "If I come with you, will your palace be beautiful?"

"The most beautiful palace you have ever seen," she whispered in his ear. "Made entirely of ice and glass, and it sits on an island surrounded by crystal blue waters."

"How will we get there?"

"My reindeer can travel over land or sea," she gestured to the pure white stallions. "That is the power of _magic_, Jellal."

At the word magic, Jellal nodded. "Yes, I'll come."

Smiling, the Snow Queen kissed his other cheek. Within an instant, every memory Jellal had; every cozy night spent with his grandmother, every day spent running around the village square with his friends, every sweet smile Erza had ever given him – vanished.

The Snow Queen took his hand, leading him to the carriage. She slid off his jacket, but he no longer felt the sting of the cold. "What is your name, My Lady?" Jellal asked as he took a seat on the plush white cushioning.

"Ultear," the queen answered, tossing his jacket backwards into the river. "I am Ultear."

The next morning, everyone was trying to find Jellal. Grandmother Fernandes held on to Erza tight, as the little girl sobbed and shook. They had told no one of Jellal's strange behaviour.

One of the villagers yelled loudly. Erza started; the villager held Jellal's coat in one hand. "I found it in the river!" he exclaimed. "Jellal must have fallen in and drowned!"

Everyone, thus, held a funeral. Everyone mourned over the little boy, tossing flowers into an empty grave, murmuring about the loss it was. And everyone moved on with their lives.

Everyone, except for Erza Scarlet.

Xxx

"And, how long have you been traveling again?"

The young woman watched the man with eyes like a hawk, as he circled her predatorily. "Ten years," she answered truthfully, tucking a strand of red hair behind her ear. The man began to laugh.

"Ten years you've been traveling the world, and for what? What purpose?" He asked her, sword glinting in the firelight.

"To find something I once lost." She answered.

"Hmm." The man shrugged. "Interesting."

He raised his sword quickly, but the woman was faster. She slid her sword out of its sheath, slicing upwards and catching his blade. Tossing back, he thrust again, and she parried easily. Their blades crossed again and again, until both were panting heavily. He lunged, but the woman stepped back, feinting left, and as he swung for her she stepped around and pointed her sword at the back of his neck.

The man froze. Slowly, he raised his arm, sword clattering on the floor. "You..."

She smiled. "I win."

Then, she pulled the sword away and bowed. The man turned and bowed as well, hands folded together. "You have done well, Erza Scarlet."

"Only because I had such a good master, Makarov Dreyar."

The much shorter, older man beamed at her.

As they walked back to the training facility, passing by various students practicing fencing movements with wooden sticks, Makarov began to speak. "Have you really been travelling for ten years, my child?"

Erza looked off into the distance. "Master, I have stayed four months here with you. That is two months longer than I have every stayed anywhere."

"And what is it you are looking for, that causes such pain in your eyes?"

Makarov was a perceptive man, Erza thought. "When I was eight, a little boy – my best friend – disappeared. Everyone said he was dead, but even at eight I knew it was a lie." She turned to the old master, eyes shining with past grief. "Master, I know he is out there, somewhere. I just have to find him."

"And for ten years, you have travelled to the farthest reaches of the Earth to find him," Makarov murmured softly. "My child, don't you ever get tired?"

She looked away. "Very tired, Master."

He sighed, a great, harrumphing, old man sigh. "Well then, there's only one thing I can to for a woman that bests me at a swordfight."

In his study, Makarov began pulling out old scrolls and maps from desk drawers. "Do you know where he might have gone?"

Erza sat in his chair, hands folded. "I don't know. It's odd... the night he disappeared, Jellal began acting strange. It was as if everything became twisted and ugly through his eyes, and...well, he stopped acting like himself."

Makarov's head snapped up. "Did he complain about having something in his eyes?"

All at once, Erza sat up straight. "Yes! He had the windows open, and he claimed something got in his eye!"

"Ah," Makarov sighed. "It is as I thought." He placed an old, yellowed picture on the table, of a great gilded mirror. Erza frowned.

"This is the Mirror of Zeref," Makarov explained heavily. "It had the power to distort the reflection of anything and make it seem ugly and evil. It was so horrible, even Zeref after a time could not stand it, and so he shattered it. The shards of the mirror flew into the wind, and if lodged in people eyes or hearts, it made the people see only the bad and the ugly in the world."

"How do you know all this?" Erza asked.

"I make it my business to know," Makarov replied gruffly. "Now, I've collected stories from all over about Zeref's Mirror, and they all have one thing in common. The view of snow seems to be unaffected. Can you think of anything related to snow or ice that might have had something to do with your friend?"

Erza had gone very white at the mention of snow. She looked at Makarov with wide, fearful eyes.

"What is it?" Makarov asked, startled by her reaction.

"The Snow Queen," Erza whispered.

Makarov dropped his quill.

"She's real, isn't she?" Erza stood, knocking over her chair. "She is! She's the one who took Jellal!"

"My child," Makarov grumbled, "these are things not meant to be tampered with by humans."

"But he saw her!" she cried. "Jellal saw her, out the window, the night he disappeared." She stopped. "The night he was _taken_."

She rounded on Makarov. "How do I get to the Snow Queen's palace?"

"You don't," he said sharply. "No one ever has, or even can. You know the stories, child! Her palace sits in an icy island in the middle of a lake! Only magic can reach her, and you are only human."

Only human. Erza frowned, taking deep breaths. "I don't care, Master. My entire life, I have been searching aimlessly, and now I finally know where I need to go. I will do this with or without your help, but with it I may go faster."

Makarov studied her face. The he seemed to deflate, sighing and hopping off the chair. "You must really have loved this boy."

Without waiting for an answer, he tossed a map at her. Erza caught it deftly, looking at the old paper. "What is this?"

"If you want to find the Snow Queen, you yourself must delve into the world of magic. This map shows the home of a sorceress I believe can help you."

"Thank you," Erza started, but Makarov cut her off with a wave of his hand.

"Do not thank me, child. This sorceress is no friend of mine, nor is she good in any way. She will not help you simply because you ask for it."

He opened a cupboard at the back of the room. Sitting inside was a gleaming sword carved with angel wings on the handle. Erza gasped as Makarov gently lifted it off the dais and held it out to her.

"Master, your finest sword-"

"It will be better served protecting you than sitting here gathering dust," he harrumphed. "I only pray that you find what you are looking for, child."

"Thank you, Master," she whispered, kissing the top of his head. "I pray I find him too."

And Erza Scarlet sheathed the sword, walking swiftly out the door.

xxx

Following the old map was no easy feat, but Erza did her best. It took her nearly a month simply to find the area the sorceress lived. With Makarov's sword strapped to her belt and heavy cloak thrown over her shoulders, Erza started heading east until the trees everywhere were cherry blossoms.

Erza studied the landscape in front of her. From what she could discern, the sorceress' house should be in the center of a circle of cherry blossom trees.

Weaving in and out, hand resting on her sword, Erza approached the family of trees. She was startled to find the house sitting in the grove was still in perfect condition, despite that it had to be 100 years old. The wood was shining and varnished, the flower gardens were springy and full of life.

When nothing tried to attack her, Erza decided that the best approach was the forward one. She approached the ornate doors of the house, knocking firmly. "Hello?" She called. "Is anyone in there?"

The doors swung open slowly, revealing a room with plush furniture and lovely glass sculptures. Erza noted with interest the katana on a raised platform, similar to the one Makarov had given her. She clutched the hilt of her own tightly. She truly needed to be careful in a place like this.

"Hello?" She called again, louder this time.

Something bumped above her, and Erza looked up. Powder cascaded from the ceiling, and before she could shield herself, the shimmering dust had found its way into her lungs and up her nose. Coughing fretfully, Erza dropped to her knees and quickly lost consciousness.

A figure materialized over her fallen form. "Well, well," she said, in a voice like honey. "What do we have here?"

xxx

When she awoke, the first thing she noticed was her head was pounding. The second thing she realized was she had no idea who she was.

Sitting up straight, the young woman ignored her pounding head and ran her slim hands through her hair. Red hair. She took deep breaths_. Okay, I have red hair. And I have calluses on my hands_. Deducing quickly, the woman glanced down at herself to see if she had any weapons. But there was nothing.

"Oh, so you're awake?"

The woman jumped. Whirling around, she came face-to-face with a disgustingly beautiful lady sitting on a velveteen chair. The lady twirled a lock of pink hair around her fingers, slanted eyes holding a dangerous gleam. "I was wondering when you'd awaken, darling."

"Who are you?" The woman demanded. The lady laughed lightly.

"I think the question here it, who are _you?_"

The woman cast her glance around for any kind of a weapon, but the lady stopped her, tutting. "Relax, darling! If you remembered, you'd know I am not your enemy. In fact, I'm a close friend of yours."

She let her brown eyes narrow. "And you are you?"

The lady clapped her hands. "Oh, my! You truly don't remember!" Standing, she bowed, kimono falling loose around her shoulders. "I am Ikaruga, the Enchantress of the Sakura Forest. And you are my young apprentice."

"Oh." The woman blinked. "You-you know me?"

"Of course!" Ikaruga laughed. "We are the best of friends, you and I!"

"Then... who am I? What is my name? And why can't I remember anything?"

Ikaruga shrugged her shoulders languidly. "I told you, you're my apprentice, Gerda. And you hit your head really hard back there. I won't be surprised if it takes you," she gave a swish of her fingers. "A day or so to remember."

_Gerda_. The woman shifted uncomfortably from side to side. Somehow, the name did not sit well with her.

Later on, she sat out in the garden. Ikaruga wanted her to come in so they could talk about their life, but the woman felt out of place. There was something off about the entire situation, so she sought the solitude of the flowers for comfort.

"Did I like flowers?" She asked quietly. "I think... there was one I really loved... but I can't remember now." She bowed her head. "Why can't I remember?"

A single tear escaped her eye, sliding down her cheek and dropping onto the ground.

Instantly, a flower spurted from the ground and began to grow. Her eyes widened at the magic, but went even further as she recognized what it was.

A single, red rose.

"_Red roses...like the colour of your hair..."_

"Jellal!"

Her memories came back in an instant. She stood up, staggering as the flood of emotions shot through her veins. Blindly, she fell to her knees. "Jellal," she coughed. "Where is he?"

The little flower did not answer, but Erza – yes that was her, Erza Scarlet – could hear a voice tinkling in her head. _He is in the Snow Queen's palace. He is still alive, and still human, but only if you hurry! He needs you, Erza!_

With a roar of anger, Erza burst into the enchantress' house. She saw as Ikaruga snatched her katana but Erza was faster, disarming the woman with a simple twist of her elbow. As Ikaruga fell and her katana clattered to the ground, Erza pulled her sword from where it was hidden and pressed the blade to Ikaruga's throat.

"I will spare your life," she growled deep in her throat, "but on only one condition. You are a foul creature and deserve to be destroyed, but since you have something I need, I will give you a chance to live. Answer me truthfully or you will know pain as you never have before."

Ikaruga cowered, shaking; for all her powers were useless in the face of this warrior woman. "A-anything! I will give you anything, just tell me what it is you desire!"

Erza leaned in very close.

"Where is the Snow Queen's palace?"

**XxXxX**

**TADAAH~!**

**Arghblargh The Snow Queen is just my favourite fairy tale ever. EVER. I highly recommend reading it if you haven't!**

**I know Disney is planning a movie based on this tale. Called 'Frozen.' However, it is so different from the true story that to say it's 'freely adapted' is a bit of an understatement. Eh. Can't say I'm too happy about it, because The Snow Queen is really just made for an epic Disney movie. But, what can you do?**

**Please join me next time :)**

**~CCS**


	20. Eternity

**Wow guys all the reviews. Look at 'em. I feel like a millionaire rolling around in money except I'm rolling around in reviews! I love you all! Let me blow you a kiss, MWAH~!**

**Also, real character from the original Snow Queen story gets a cameo :3 Cause he's a cutie!**

**XxXxX**

Upon hitting the road again, now with an actual idea of where to go thanks to Ikaruga's map, Erza began her travels with a purpose. She was no longer headed blindly north, nor was she trying haphazardly to follow magnetic north or grid north. Finally, Erza had a real direction to go in, and that was true north.

However, travelling north was not as easy in real life as it was drawing a dotted line on a map. Erza found herself hopelessly lost countless times. She was captured by robbers (now there was a story, let me tell you) and was directed into a kingdom with a prince nearly identical to Jellal. What was even more entertaining, Erza thought, was the princess looked to similar to her, as well.

The princess offered Erza protection for travelling that far north. "I see the face you make when you look at my Prince," she said, not unkindly, as she handed Erza a thick fur cloak. "This Jellal you seek; he must be very important to you."

"He is," was all Erza said in reply. She could hardly bear to look at the prince; to her, he looked exactly as Jellal would have had he not disappeared. He even had a similar face tattoo.

"Then I wish you good luck on your quest," The princess smiled.

On Erza's way out, she stumbled across something in the stables. For all that Erza was an incredible warrior, she was also incredibly clumsy when it came to her feet. "_Kyaa!"_ She let out a small shriek as she toppled over.

Glancing up quickly to see what she had tripped on, Erza noticed a small piece of wood sticking up from under the leaves. No, not even a root! A real piece of wood, just poking up from the ground begging to be tripped over.

"What on Earth is that there for?" Erza asked herself, flicking the wood. "Is it perhaps part of a stable?" Searching vainly, she came forehead-to-face with a large wooden stable. Standing slowly, Erza found herself facing the strangest creature she had ever seen in her entire life.

"And what on Earth are you?" She asked, completely at a loss. It certainly wasn't a horse, that much was certain. And it wasn't a deer, although it did have similar antlers. Glancing at the plate, she read aloud, "Bae?"

The creature whickered softly, as if he could answer to his own name. "What...?"

"He's a reindeer."

She jumped wildly, turning around with hands out in the defensive position. Erza felt her heart stop into her stomach, as she recognized the achingly familiar face of the prince.

He held out his hands in defense. "Listen, I know...for some reason you don't like or trust me, but..."

Erza shook her head. "No, I apologize, Your Highness. I did not mean to seem cruel. You simply reminded me of someone that I used to know."

The prince gave her a half-smile. "Bae is a reindeer," he continued, saving Erza from explaining further. "They come from the far north, and the Snow Queen uses them to pull her carriage. That's how we found Bae, he used to work for her."

Erza turned to the majestic creature in wonder. "Do you think he knows how to get to her palace?"

"Oh, he can do more than that," the prince smiled. "He can cross the lake at which the center sits the Snow Queen's palace. Bae is the only one who can take you." He glanced away. "That's why I followed you...I wanted to make sure you got him."

The prince let the reindeer out of his stall, handing the reigns to Erza. "Bae is smart; if you tell him where to go, he will take you."

Nodding, Erza pulled herself up onto the saddle. "You have my sincerest thanks," she said looking the prince dead in the eye. He bowed to her.

"May you find luck on your journey."

As Erza and Bae headed out of the warm stable, she glanced back. "By the way, what is your name?"

"Mystogan," he answered. "Prince Mystogan."

Erza nodded. "Then I promise, Prince Mystogan, when I find Jellal I will return Bae to you." And with a flick of the reigns, she was out the door.

xxx

The winter wind was harsh, and Erza was glad for the fur cloak given to her. Otherwise, she feared she might have been frozen to the bone, and without Bae's help, she never would have made it so far.

It was two days later and Erza was shivering violently by the time they reached the shores of the lake. The water, strangely enough, was not frozen over. Erza hopped down, feet encased by several layers of snow. She pushed a bit of the white substance into the lake, and watching in horror as it fizzled away into nothing.

"A magic lake," she hissed, standing again. "Are you sure you can do this, Bae?" She asked her reindeer companion. Without him it would be impossible to cross, but Erza refused to make him to something he didn't want to.

But the old reindeer clopped his hooves in the snow, sending up sparks as he did so. Erza understood; Bae was born to do this. Resolve now firmed, she pulled herself up onto his back again.

"All right, Bae," she declared. "Let's go!"

He took off, stepping onto the lake. The water around his hooves froze instantly, with ice thick enough for him to easily walk on. And so he began to cross the lake.

It was nearly sunrise by the time the palace came into view. Erza crouched low to Bae's back as they came closer, hoping she would not be spotted. The palace was large, and seemingly built entirely out of reflective glass.

"It's like a palace of mirrors," Erza mumbled. When Bae reached the shore, she jumped off, landing deftly onto the rocky shoreline. "Please stay here until I come back," she asked the reindeer softly. "That is, unless you are in danger. Then you must flee. Put your life first."

The reindeer gave her a look, like he would do no such thing. Sighing, she rubbed his neck, and stole away towards the palace. After finding a satisfyingly large chink in the walls for ventilation, she slipped inside and began her search.

It did not, surprisingly, take her long to find Jellal.

It did, however, take her a while to gather enough courage to face him, because what she saw terrified her beyond belief.

She was in the roof above a large cavern, the floor of which was a large frozen lake. Erza peered through the icy grate. At the head of the room, on a white crystalline throne, was a tall and beautiful woman with jet black hair and cold eyes. She was watching the centre of the room where, Erza could see, sat a messy mop of blue hair.

_Jellal._

She knew it was him, without even seeing his face. Even as she hid in the roof, she could feel his presence. It warmed her to the bone, and when he spoke, it was like firecrackers went off inside her body. It was Jellal. It was him.

"Why do I have to do this again, Your Majesty?" He was complaining.

The Snow Queen spoke, in a sultry and lovely voice. "I told you, Jellal. Once you spell the word 'eternity,' you are free to go."

Erza felt a stab through her heart. So he wanted to leave! Perhaps he really was still the old Jellal that she remembered –

"I hate being surrounded by these mirrors," he continued. Erza's heart sank. He hadn't changed at all.

"I thought you enjoyed it," the Snow Queen said coyly. "After all, isn't there only beauty here?"

"There's me," Jellal sulked. "I forgot how ugly I looked."

The Snow Queen tutted. "Now, now, Jellal. You are a very handsome boy. Just ask your old friend, hiding there in the ceiling. What was her name? Erza?"

Erza's heart stopped. The Snow Queen knew she was here?

Jellal tilted his head to the side. "Who?"

That was it. With a cry of rage, Erza stomped her foot through the grate. With all the grace of a trained warrior, she fell with the shards, landing steadily on her feet while simultaneously drawing her sword.

Jellal's eyes widened in remembrance. "Oh." Then a cruel, nasty smile spread across his face. "You."

"Jellal!" Erza yelled. "What happened to you?"

"Oh, I'll tell you precisely what happened to him," the Snow Queen interrupted, white teeth flashing. "Jellal was infected by shards of Zeref's mirror."

"I know about Zeref's mirror!" Erza snapped. The Snow Queen jumped in surprise, and so did Jellal as she rounded on him. "That's not what I'm here for! I asked you, Jellal, what _happened_ to you?"

The boy sat back on his hands. "Oh, Erza, you never change," he teased. "I decided that the world was too ugly, so I came here. It's very beautiful in the palace, you know."

"But not everything is beautiful, is it?" Erza asked in a low voice. "What about you, Jellal? Are you beautiful?"

His face went white as a sheet. "You heard me."

"Of course I heard you!" Erza roared. Throwing down her sword, she fell to her knees, grabbing the lapels of Jellal's jacket and bringing their faces close. "I heard you every night, Jellal! In your dreams, you called out to me, without even knowing!" Tears sparkled in Erza's good eye, as her voice cracked from strain. "Do you know why I never gave up on you, Jellal?"

The Snow Queen had stood, and she was staring at Erza with something akin to horror on her face.

"Because I knew! Even as everyone else in our godforsaken village gave up on you, I knew you were still alive, and just begging for me to rescue you!" She gave a gasping breath, tears spilling over her cheeks. "I never gave up on you, Jellal, because I loved you, and you disappeared before I could tell you."

Erza buried her face into his chest, allowing the tears to soak in through his shirt. He sat unmoving, shaking, in complete shock. The Snow Queen's angry hisses and Erza's laboured breaths were the only sound in the room.

"I love you, Jellal," she whispered, so quietly he might not even have heard.

The room was silent. The years of frustration and sadness finally overwhelmed her as she cried like a child into Jellal's arms. "Come back to me," she said, louder, voice cracked and raw with emotion. "Just come back to me, Jellal."

Then, without any warning, his arm came up and pressed tightly around her shoulders. Erza froze, eyes going wide. Jellal's arm tightened, and then the other one appeared and suddenly he was encasing her into the warmest hug she had ever felt. He pulled back, roughly grabbing her shoulders as he stared her directly in the eyes.

"You," he said again, only this time his voice was full of recognition, and it shook. Tears filled his eyes, and spilled over, as he started to cry even harder than she had been. _"Erza!"_

They threw their arms around each other, gasping and sobbing and trying to touch as much of the other as was humanly possible. Erza grabbed his face and pressed her cold lips to his, hard, and kissed him with such force they both went toppling over to the floor.

When they pulled back, tasting tears and breathing heavily, Jellal shivered. "It's cold in here."

Erza's face broke into a wide grin, smiling like she hadn't since she was child. "That's generally what it's like in the Snow Queen's palace, idiot."

Speaking of the Snow Queen, the woman let out a cry of rage and threw her staff onto the ground. Hearing it clatter, both Jellal and Erza jumped in fear. Erza snatched up her sword from where it lay, protectively stretching in front of Jellal.

"Oh, there's no need for that," The Snow Queen hissed. She pointed a bony finger to the ground in front of them. "Look."

In surprise, both Erza and Jellal saw that the shards of ice had formed the word 'eternity'. Erza was at a complete loss for words. "But... how?"

The queen turned away from them, crossing her arms over her ample chest. "It was her tears," she said, voice having lost all heat. "When you cried into his chest, your tears entered his heart and melted away the shards of Zeref's mirror. When Jellal cried, it washed away the shards in his eyes. And when your tears mingled together, they spelled the word 'eternity'."

In the harsh light of the cavern, her face almost seemed to be smiling. "Tears are powerful things."

"Ultear," Jellal started. He raised his hand towards the queen, but she waved them away, face returning to its mask of stone.

"You two are free to leave," she said. "Getting off the island is entirely up to you."

Jellal looked at Erza. "The palace is surrounded by a magic lake. We won't be able to-"

Erza shushed him, a small smile adorning her face. "How do you think I got here in the first place?" Grabbing Jellal's hand, she pulled him to his feet with all the strength she had. "Come with me."

Outside the palace, Bae was waiting for the with bells tied to his antlers. He shook his head as they approached, the bells jingling festively. "Bae?" Erza asked in amusement. "Who did that to you?"

From behind a wall, a small pink-haired figure giggled, before disappearing back into the castle.

Erza mounted the reindeer, and reaching a hand down for Jellal, pulled him up as well. "I feel like I'm the princess and you're the prince who does all the saving," he said somewhat grumpily. But as he settled in behind her with his arms around her waist, her body pressing back into his – well, so he wasn't quite emasculated yet.

Bae carried the two easily back over the magic lake, and with a certain spring in his step that no doubt came from carrying two young lovers, they made it back to Prince Mystogan's castle in half the time.

"He really does look like me," the prince said in great amusement, as he and Jellal studied each other. Erza and the princess fought very hard to hide their laughter.

"Where to next?" Jellal asked Erza as they left the castle, this time on foot. Erza took his hand, smiling gently.

"I think it's time we went home, Jellal," she told him.

xxx

Hardly anything had changed in the village since they left. It was summer, and for the first time in a long time there was no snow on the ground and the strawberry fields were in full blossom. Jellal and Erza wandered hand in hand up the beaten country road, passing the river Jellal had disappeared from all those years ago.

They made it back to their old houses, where Erza's parents threw themselves at her screaming and Jellal hugged his grandmother so tight she nearly had a heart attack. But the old woman was still in the merriest of spirits, and called for a great feast that night in honour of her returned grandson.

The feast was wonderful, and full of strawberry cake. But all the cake in the world could not keep Erza there for long, and soon she had wandered back to her old house to sit in front of the rose garden. Grandmother Fernandes had returned it to life in the years she had been gone.

The ground crunched behind her, and she sensed Jellal coming to sit with her. "They were always so beautiful, weren't they?" She asked him, looking up at his eyes.

They were wide, and full of remorse. "Erza, what I did – I don't know how you can ever forgive me-"

She placed a hand on his mouth, effectively cutting off his apology-laden speech. "I don't need to hear it, Jellal," she murmured. "I love you." A corner of her mouth quirked up. "And love means never having to say you're sorry."

He snorted at that. "Cheeseball." She shoved him on the arm, and he wrapped her in a hug. "Why aren't you at the feast?" He asked.

"I was."

"You left. Why?"

"Jellal," she sighed. "All those years I was searching for you. I've travelled to almost every corner of the Earth, and it's beautiful," she sighed. "It really, truly is. And now that I've been there, well," she stopped. Taking a deep breath, Erza continued more quietly. "This home just isn't enough for me anymore."

"So you want to continue travelling," Jellal stated. Erza avoided his gaze.

"I know that you just got back, and there is no place you'd rather be now but here-"

He stopped her, cupping a hand to her cheek. "Erza," he said, voice loving and tender. "I love you. Wherever you go, that is my home."

He plucked a rose from the garden and tucked it behind her ear. "For the colour of your hair," he whispered, and she kissed him gently, under the moonlight.

"Where are we going to go first?" He asked her, moving his lips along hers. She smiled against him. She had a sword at her belt, and a map that needed to be returned.

"I think I have a pretty good idea of where to start."

_**THE END**_

Mirajane was honestly and quite thoroughly startled to see tears in all three eyes of her children.

"Are you all okay?" She asked, suddenly worried that the story might have been too scary or sad. Fern sniffed, throwing her arms around her mother.

"That was the most beautiful thing I've ever heard!" She wailed. Hugo, with his face buried in his knees, nodded fiercely. Mary Jane wiped her eyes.

"Mama," she said stoutly. "Tell Auntie Erza she's my hero."

Mira smiled, relaxing as she realized they were tears of the heart. "Tell her yourself," she said gently, unwrapping Fern from her waist and tucking all three into bed.

"Can we have something super romantic again tomorrow night?" Mary Jane asked, eyes wide.

"And maybe something scary, too," Hugo added. "Something that isn't so sissy."

"Sissy! You were the one crying-"

Mira kissed them all lightly on the forehead. "I'll make it worth your while."

**XxXxX**

**Oh, Erza. *sniff* Kinda wanted to update this back when the Jerza kiss was in the anime, but alas, time was not on my side. Oh well. They'll kiss again, I'm sure of it!**

**Next week: The Disney Princess movie that gave me nightmares as a child! Yay! Oh, and be prepared for a cast of colourful and *ahem* **_**parallel**_** characters to fill out next week's multi-pairing extravaganza!**

**~CCS**


	21. Bring Me Her Heart

**Guys, we reached 200 reviews. Gah! I love you all so much. Too much.**

**That being said, I'm very sad to make an announcement – this is the penultimate tale. For those that don't know what that means, it means that after this tale is done, there will be one more and then we're done! I know some people made requests that may not be fulfilled, so I offer you this in compensation – write your own! What's stopping you? Go ahead! And then message me, 'cause I'll read 'em for sure! **

**(ps, all of you need to get off your behinds and get to a theatre to see Wreck-it Ralph. Like, NOW.)**

Tonight, it seemed, Hugo was absolutely determined not to start crying.

"Crying is not what real men do!" He declared stoutly, crossing his arms. "And I wasn't crying last time, no matter what she says!"

He pointed to Mary Jane, who shrugged. "He was crying."

"_Was not!"_

Mira sighed at both of them. "All right. How about if I promise a very happy and funny story?"

Fern jumped to her feet. "Hey Mama, does this one only have to be about two people?"

"Yeah, I want a story with lots of couples!"

Mira flipped open the book of fairy tales, running her hands along the paper. She had a certain fairy tale in mind for the night, but at the same time she was having trouble deciding who the two main characters sounded like.

Fern saw her mother's confusion, and padded over to her. Poking Mira in the side of the leg, she said, "Just make it your own, Mama. You're good at that."

In surprise, Mira looked at her youngest daughter. A smile grew on her face. "Of course, darling. You were always so much smarter than me."

Flipping open the book, Mirajane took a deep breath. She knew nothing of these people, but instead would have to go on the stories told to her. She only hoped she could do everyone justice.

"Now then. Shall we start?"

_**SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARVES**_

Once upon a time, in a kingdom very, very far away, there lived a mother who loved her daughter very much. This woman was a queen, Layla Ashley, and she was the most kind and beautiful queen anybody could ever have asked for.

When she was pregnant, Layla took to embroidering for her amusement. One time, when she was heavily pregnant, Layla pricked her finger and let a drop of blood fall onto the pristine white handkerchief. Gasping in surprise, Layla pressed the bleeding finger to her lips.

The dress Layla had been wearing was black, for her husband had just passed, and she was in mourning. As she saw the white handkerchief with the red blood against the black dress, Layla was struck by a sudden idea.

"I wish..." she said quietly. "I wish for my daughter to be born with skin white as snow, hair black as ebony, and lips red as blood."

Layla's wish came true, for when the baby was born, she had white skin and black hair, and small red lips. Layla named the baby girl Lucy, and nicknamed her Snow White. But the happiness could not last for long, and Layla, still weak from childbirth, fell victim to the same sickness as her husband and passed away.

As the late king or queen had no living relatives, the kingdom fell to the power of a duke named Faust. This duke had a son named Jellal. Now, Faust was only the regent, as he could only rule until the baby Princess Lucy came of age. So Faust decided that, before that time came, he would have his son Jellal marry Princess Lucy so that he could stay on the throne.

This plan seemed, for a while, like it would work. The young Jellal and Lucy got on quite well, and Faust could tell he would have no problems telling Jellal he would have to marry the princess someday.

But Princess Lucy, he felt, would be an entirely different story.

Because you see, Princess Lucy had not stayed as the small Snow White baby. She grew up to be a tomboy, and a roughhouser, and not at all what a princess should be like. Her dark hair was bleached blonde from her countless hours on the sun, and her white skin tanned quickly. She had calluses on her palms and blisters on her feet, and had elbows and knees perpetually plastered in bandages. She was a no-nonsense girl, and Faust knew that she was never going to marry anyone just because he told her to.

Faust also had another downfall. He was a great narcissist, and somewhat of a magician. He had an enchanted mirror that would tell him every day that he was the handsomest and strongest man in the kingdom.

The day everyone's adventure began started off as just another day. It was two months until Princess Lucy's eighteenth birthday, and so Faust had two months to get Lucy and Jellal married. He had told the two of his plans, and although Lucy had protested profusely – "he's like my brother!" - Jellal had agreed quietly and Faust was confident he could get Lucy to do as he asked.

So today, like any other day, Faust approached his mirror. "Mirror, mirror, on the wall," he asked as always. "Who is the strongest of them all?"

The surface of the mirror shimmered. Faust settled back in his chair, waiting for the answer that came to him every day: "You, my lord."

But it was not to be, for today there was another answer. "It is another, my lord."

Faust stood from his chair so fast it fell over with a great clatter. Glaring at his mirror, he roared, "Who? Who is fairer and stronger than I?"

The surface of the mirror shimmered again, and Faust was faced with a vision. In the sunny garden, he saw his son, on the ground and in a headlock.

"It is the Princess Lucy, my lord," the mirror answered.

Faust's grip on his wineglass tightened, until the glass shattered in his palm.

xxx

"Ouch! Lucy, let me go!"

Jellal groaned from where he was currently in a complete headlock from Princess Lucy. The prince turned his head to the side, cracking his neck as he did so. "What do you want?"

"Say you won't marry me."

He huffed, scratching at her hand in a plea for escape. "That's not my decision! It's my dad's!"

Lucy tightened her grip. "Yeah, but you can say no!"

"No, I can't!" He choked out. "I can't just – ack! _Uncle!_"

Sighing, Lucy released him. "You're such a wimp."

"And you're a strong freak," Jellal shot back, massaging his throat. "Why are you so mean for a girl?"

Lucy kicked him, and he fell over. There came a throat clearing, and both teens looked up to see a castle guard. "The King requests and audience with the Princess Lucy," he announced. Lucy stood with a huff, brushing out her skirts and glaring back at Jellal fiercely.

"You and me aren't done, mister," she snarled, before stomping off in the direction of the throne room with steam pouring out her ears.

Faust was slouching on his throne when Lucy entered, stomping in her riding boots. "What did you call me for, Your Majesty?" She asked with no politeness in her tone. Faust raised an eyebrow at her.

"I believe," he began, in a voice that sounded like sandpaper on confetti. "That you have once again refused my request to comply to marriage with Prince Jellal."

"Yes, that I have," she answered instantly. "And I plan on continuing to do so _until I get my way."_

Faust sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Princess, I try to reason with you, really, I do. Can we not just compromise?"

"No," Lucy bit back. "Like hell! Even if I did want to marry Jellal – which, by the way, _I don't_ – I wouldn't marry him just because you told me to!" She crossed her arms, glaring stoutly. "When I marry, believe me when I say it will be for love." She narrowed her eyes. "And I _will_ get back my mother's kingdom."

Faust growled, gripping the arm of his throne. Lucy scoffed, spinning on her heel and stomping right back out the door.

With an angry yell, Faust tossed his goblet, causing it to clang horrendously on the floor. "Curse that brat!" he spat. "What am I to do with her? If my mirror is correct – and it always is – she will be strong enough to defeat me!"

One of his attendants stepped forward, bowing low. "Your Majesty, if I may make a suggestion?"

He glanced sideways. "What is it, Byro?"

The man bowed his head of salt-white hair. "Perhaps, since the princess is not yet strong enough to defeat you yet...if she were to simply disappear?"

"Byro, what are you suggesting?" Faust cut in, annoyed with the man's manner of speech. Byro cleared his throat.

"My lord, of you were to have the princess assassinated, she would no longer serve a threat to you or this kingdom."

Faust raised his eyebrows. "Byro, do you really believe me to be capable of such evil?"

Byro's face was calm as he answered. "I know you are."

Settling back into his throne, Faust smirked. "Do you have anyone in mind? This cannot be tied to me, if we are to pull it off."

"I have someone in mind," Byro nodded. "He is a huntsman under my charge, and is the fastest carriage-driver in the kingdom. He will do anything I ask of him."

"And what is this huntsman's name?"

Byro smirked as he answered. "Natsu Dragion."

xxx

Lucy sat in the back of the carriage, arms crossed tightly and legs folded under her. She wasn't being very ladylike, but as she played with the small skull pin in her hair, she really didn't much care. "How much further are we?" She called out to the carriage driver, who was driving her crazy with his 'cool' attitude.

"Just a bit further, Your Highness," the carriage driver called back to her. Admittedly, he was good at what he did. The horses were pulling the carriage quickly and efficiently, and Lucy had yet to feel a single bump in the road. "I promised to have you there by lunchtime, no?"

Huffing, she settled back into the seat. When Faust had offered her a free vacation by the lake – "Time to collect her thoughts," he called it – Lucy had of course accepted. Even though she had absolutely no intentions of giving his proposal any thoughts, she was loathe to give up a free vacation. The lake was an expensive place, even for a princess.

The carriage ground to a halt, and Lucy stuck her head out the window. She frowned upon realizing they were nowhere near the lake. In fact, if her bearings were right, they seemed to be on the edge of the Dark Forest.

"Hey..."

She kicked open the doors, swinging around to face the carriage driver with a frown. "Excuse me, but why have we stopped-"

She stopped her sentience short when she saw the loaded crossbow cocked at her. "Hey!" Lucy yelped shrilly. "What – what the hell do you think you are doing?"

The carriage driver was slouched in his seat, half covered in shadow. The crossbow rested on his knee, and one finger sat lightly on the trigger. Lucy would be completely lying if she said she didn't find the sight ridiculously sexy, but at the moment she was more preoccupied. Namely, by the sexy man pointing a crossbow at her.

"Lucy Ashley," he said in a deep, scratchy voice. "I've been assigned to assassinate you."

"Assassinate?" Lucy cried, completely astounded. "By who?"

"That's my business alone," he replied. He moved to shoot, and Lucy, who was quite fed up by the situation, decided she wanted some more answers before her head was blown off. Angrily, she stomped towards the man and grabbed his ear, yanking him off the driver's seat.

"All right, you," she snarled. "Enough with the mystery! Who sent you and why do they want me-"

But Lucy stopped in her sentence to stare at the man. Because the second she'd pulled him off the seat, his personality had done a complete one-eighty. Imagine Lucy's surprise when he threw up his hands in defense and started screaming like a little girl.

xxx

Confession time: Natsu Dragion was a chicken.

He wouldn't go so far as to call himself a coward. No, that was a little to mean, even for him. But a chicken? Oh, that was absolutely what he was. He was, in fact, such a chicken that the only reason he'd even agreed to assassinate the princess in the first place was because the King and Byro had scared him into doing it.

He'd thought he'd be okay, if he just stuck to the driver's seat. Natsu gained the confidence of ten men in the driver's seat. He wasn't actually sure why, it just made him feel better. So from the seat of the plush golden carriage he'd pointed the crossbow at the admittedly pretty princess and nearly succeeded.

But, alas, Natsu's courage was whisked away from him as well as his manliness as he was dragged through the forest by his ear.

"Ow! Ow ow ow owowowowow please let me go!"

Natsu whimpered loudly as Lucy stomped through the underbrush, whacking away tree branches with her bare hands. "Yeah, right!" She snarled back at him. "Like I'd ever let you go, you just tried to kill me!" She twisted his ear painfully and he gave a little shriek.

"I was only following the King's orders!"

She rounded on him, eyes wide as saucers. "What, Faust? He tried to have me killed?"

"Yeah," Natsu said breathlessly, very glad she was no longer pinching as hard. "He wants you out of the way so that he can rule the kingdom alone."

"That bastard!" Lucy gasped, outraged. She had let go of Natsu, and he started to inch away, but her hand shot out and grabbed his collar. "You aren't going anywhere, bub," she growled. "If I let you go you'll tell Faust I'm still alive. He has to think you've succeeded and that we're both dead."

"Um, it might not be that easy," Natsu squeaked out. "The King wanted proof that you were dead. He..."

Lucy pulled his face close to hers. "Continue?"

"...he wanted me to cut out your heart and bring it to him."

Lucy was so disgusted that she screamed and let go of Natsu, wrapping her arms around herself. "And you were actually going to do it, you sicko!?"

"No!" Natsu threw up his arms in defense. "No, I was gonna...I don't know...well I was just gonna wing it!" he argued.

"You couldn't have just refused his request?!"

"It wasn't a request so much as a death threat," Natsu argued feebly and sullenly. "If I didn't do it he'd have killed me right on the spot."

For a moment, Lucy's eyes softened. But it only lasted for a second, as she straightened and her gaze turned back to stone. "So you'd value your own life over that of an innocent and beautiful princess?"

"Wha-no! That isn't - I mean - that is totally unfair!"

"Yeah, whatever. Come on, heart-stealer, we're going this way."

Yes, it appeared Natsu Dragion was a complete and utter chicken.

xxx

"What do you mean, she's gone?"

Jellal faced his father, eyes wide. His shaking hand grasped the edge of his desk, as the King stood menacingly in the doorway.

"It is as I said," Faust continued coldly. "She was on her way to the lake for a vacation and disappeared on the edge of the Dark Forest . It is most likely she is dead; however we know for certain she is gone and will never return."

"But..." Jellal whispered. His thoughts were racing. Lucy, gone? But why? "Is this because she didn't want to marry me?"

He wasn't looking at his father, so he missed the way the King's eyes flashed dangerously. "Perhaps," was all he said. "I will leave you to your mourning."

Jellal sank to his knees, head in his hands. It was all his fault Lucy had left. She might be dead now, and it was all his fault!

He had not loved Lucy like two people getting married should have. He only agreed to marry her because it was his father's wish. To him, Lucy was like that tough older sister he'd always wished for. She beat up the people who were mean to him, she brushed the dirt off his shoulder when he fell. He did love Lucy, like a sister and a best friend.

And so Jellal decided he could not just give up hope on the princess. If it was his fault she was gone, then he was going to be the one to bring her back.

And for that, he would need a guide.

Jellal surveyed the rowdy, dirty bar, scarf pulled up to hide his face. He didn't want to men in here to know he was the prince, he was afraid they might pummel him to bits. Jellal was strong, but the people's dislike for the King was stronger and he had no doubts they would take that anger out against him.

The only reason Jellal was here was because he needed one of these strong, scary men to help him track Lucy through the Dark Forest. He needed a huntsman; not a posh royal type but a true man who could fight his way through anything.

"Oi! Did you hear? The monster's coming again tonight?"

There was a collective groan from the men as the bartender called across the floor. "Oh, no! We're gonna lose all our money – again!" One, a large man with an axe strapped to his back, complained loudly.

"Yeah, that cheater always snatches our money away!"

Someone threw a bottle at their heads. "Hey! That 'cheater' always beats you two fair and square! You're just sore losers!"

Jellal raised his eyebrows in interest. There was a man who could easily defeat these two? This man, then, was surely the guide he was looking for.

"I am not a sore loser! There is _no way_ that I could have been defeated by a-"

"A girl?"

Jellal's head, and every other head in the bar swivelled to the back entrance, where a hunched figure was leaning against the doorframe, twirling a set of keys around her finger.

"Knightwalker!" The bartender growled. "Would it kill you to use the front door for once?"

"Perhaps," the woman said mystically. "I've never tried it before."

The woman, Knightwalker, was one of the most incredible and powerful-looking women Jellal had ever seen in his life. And he grew up with Lucy Ashley.

Her hair was as red as fire, or blood, wavy and cascading down her shoulders and just barely held in place by a cord. Her clothes were dark, like the night, but skimpy, barely covering her pale skin. When she moved, it was like snakes through the grass. She was dangerous and beautiful.

Jellal gave an audible gulp.

"Wanna give it another go, boys?" Knightwalker asked, hefting a large staff over her shoulder. "Or do you still think you can beat me?"

With an angry roar, half the men in the bar charged.

It only took Knightwalker eight minutes – Jellal timed it – to send every drunken angry man on his back. She broke a few tables in the process, by the time it was over, she was setting them up unsteadily whilst collecting money.

"Stop coming to my bar," The bartender grumbled at her. "You're bad for business."

She smirked sideways at him. "You're the only one who hasn't kicked me out. I have to come here."

Her eyes caught sight of Jellal, and she stalked over to him. He tried to maintain his stance, but nearly cowered as she came too close.

"You've been watching me all night," she said sharply. "Why?"

Jellal glanced furtively from side to side. "I have a business proposition," he answered.

She raised an eyebrow. "And what can you offer in turn for my services?" She asked quickly. Jellal quirked a smiled behind his scarf. So she was a warrior _and_ a businesswoman. She'd make a good queen.

"Money," he answered shortly. She took in his haggard appearance.

"You don't look like the kind of man who can pay the kind of money I'm looking for," she told him, making way to leave.

"Follow me outside and I'll make it worth your while," Jellal called. He didn't want to reveal his status in the bar, but to this huntress he felt he would be safe. She looked back at him, giving his disguise a once-over before agreeing.

"Fine. But if you're wasting my time I'll leave you to rot in the sewers."

"Fair enough."

Once outside, Jellal removed his scarf and hat. Knightwalkers's eyebrows raised as she took in his face tattoo.

"So," she said. "The prince of the land wants my help. Whatever for?"

"The princess is gone," Jellal said. Knightwalker turned her head.

"I heard she died."

"She didn't. At least, I don't know for sure, but I have to make sure. If there's a chance she's still alive, I have to get her back."

Knightwalker eyed him critically for a minute. "And I suppose you'll offer whatever sum of money I ask for?"

"Anything you ask. I'd clean out the coffers for her."

Her eyebrows rose further. "Do you truly love this girl so much?"

"No," he said honestly. "It isn't that. It was my fault she left, and if she is dead because of me I will never forgive myself."

The woman's face softened incredibly after she heard that. "You are an honest man," she told him. "You will make a fine king one day." Nodding at his nonplussed expression, she continued. "I will help you catch the princess. I won't ask for a sum until after the mission is complete" She placed a hand on his shoulder. "And if the worst should happen, I will not ask for money."

Then she was off, gesturing him to follow. "Come! The night is young and we have a princess to hunt!"

Jellal hurried to keep pace with her. "What should I call you, Miss Knightwalker?"

"Erza will do nicely."

xxx

Lucy growled as she smacked another branch out of her way. It squealed as it whipped past – or maybe that was just Natsu, she was having a hard time telling.

"This forest is way too scary! _Aah!_"

The failed huntsman ducked as some unidentified object went sailing over his head. "It's the Dark Forest," Lucy shot back. "What did you expect? Flowers and songbirds?"

The Dark Forest was, certainly, scary to some. The trees moved on their own and had faces and screamed if you got too close. The ground was murky and all manner of unpleasant creatures roamed. It was enough to make any sane person lose their wits.

Lucy Ashley, however, was not a sane person and was therefore completely unaffected by the forests' terrifying-ness. She was dragging Natsu (again) and was determined to find a place of shelter.

"Just a little further!" She compromised, tired of hearing him wailing. "Okay? And then we'll stop!"

"Okay..."

Just as she said it, a house appeared on the horizon. "A-ha!" Lucy crowed, heading towards it. The house seemed to be on the outs of the forest, where it was not so magic-laden and horrendous. In fact, out here she could see the moonlight through the trees.

She knocked on the door, allowing Natsu to collapse at her feet. "Hello?" She called. "Anyone home?"

The door swung open, to reveal a young man in heavy clothes. "Hello?" he asked right back at her, hiding slightly behind the door. "Who are you?"

Lucy held her head high as she answered. "I am Princess Lucy of Edolas!"

"Ah!" He swung the door open. "A princess! How wonderful!" His brow furrowed. "What were you doing in the Dark Forest?"

"Long story," she growled. "Can I come in?"

"Yes, of course." The man stepped back to allow her entrance. "My name is Gray Surge." He saw Natsu still lying on the doormat. "Is he all right?"

Lucy ignored him for favour of taking in the house. It was a one-story, made entirely of wood with winding, rickety stairs leading to a platform where Lucy saw seven beds sitting. There were tables and chairs carved of wood, and what looked like pickaxes on the chairs.

As Gray dragged Natsu in, for apparently the young man had fainted, a beautiful woman with blue hair strode up to Lucy. "Who are you?" She asked in undisguised interest.

"Ah! Juvia-chan!" Gray gushed. "This is Princess Lucy! She needs shelter from the Dark Forest!"

The woman named Juvia sent him a scathing look. "I wasn't asking you."

Gray cowered. "S-sorry, Juvia-chan..."

Another man, this one tall with a hat jammed over his afro and a journal grasped in his hands, sidled over. "Princess Lucy? As in, the daughter of the late King Jude and Queen Layla?"

"Yes, that's me," Lucy answered. The man grinned.

"Excellent! I'll be able to use you as research!" He lifted his journal. "I'm writing an article about the late Royal Family, see..."

"Gajeel is a journalist," Juvia interrupted. "He runs a paper on the corruption on King Faust."

At the mention of the name, Lucy's face darkened. "Faust. That man is the reason I am here."

"Oh? What happened?" A demure-looking woman with chestnut brown hair came out of the kitchen, followed by an equally lovely lady with white hair. "I am Cana, and this is Mirajane, by the way."

"Faust wanted to kill me, so he hired this sap," she pointed to Natsu, who was resting on a table as Gray dabbed his forehead with a cool cloth, "to assassinate me and cut out my heart."

Cana gasped. "So he is a villain?"

"Faust is, but this guy isn't. He's just a coward."

"Chicken..." Natsu groaned, apparently awake. " 'M a chicken. Not a coward."

"Whatever."

Mirajane clutched the arm of a tall, buff man. "Oh, dear," she said, tears forming in her crystal blue eyes. "How terrible, that the king would try and do such a thing!"

"I believe it," Gajeel said darkly.

The man Mirajane was clinging to sighed. "That king does not deserve to be called a man," he stated sadly, tears in his eyes. "My poor sister...everything was his fault."

Mirajane sniffed. "Don't cry, Elfman..."

"I'm not..."

Before Lucy could ask as to what happened to their sister, a loud crash came from upstairs. Doing a quick headcount, Lucy realized that she had only met six of the seven inhabitants of this house. And judging by the angry roar from up the stairs, she guessed that this seventh member would not be too happy to meet her.

"Who's in my house?!" The voice was shouting, and a figure leapt down, completely disregarding the stairs. The person straightened in front of Lucy, pressing her face close and glaring hotly with fiery brown eyes.

"I am Princess Lucy. Who are you?" Lucy shot back, instant dislike coursing through her veins. The figure, smaller in frame that her but with enough attitude in her posture to be taller than ten men, crossed her arms and blew a lock of blue hair out of her face.

"I am Levy McGarden, head of this house and leader of our band of outlaws," she answered. "And you, _princess_, are not welcome here."

"Band of outlaws?" Lucy was astounded. "Wha-who are you people?"

Levy snarled at her. "Your ignorance pisses me off," she declared. "How dare you have no idea who we are? We are the only rebels left against the phony King!

"We are the Seven Dwarves!"

**XxXxX**

**Edo-Levy = Grumpy.**

**I love the Edolas versions of everyone, so of course I had to write a story with them. Expect lots of Edo-Levy and Gajeel, because they are ridiculously adorable and you kind of have to guess at their relationship. Yay! And next chapter, lots and lots of fluffy Edo-NaLu! Double yay!**

**~CCS**


	22. I Believe, I Believe, I Believe

**I'm really sorry about the delays, guys. End of term is here, which means papers for every class! Yay! Ugh, college. So these last few updates might be a little more spaced out. But I will try my very best!**

**XxXxX**

Jellal had to hand it to Erza Knightwalker as they stalked through the underbrush. She didn't seem to be fazed by the forest at all, even if he was currently trying not to wet his pants. They'd been following an invisible trail from the abandoned carriage and even if Jellal seemed to have no idea where they were going, Erza certainly did.

"She's taken someone else with her," Erza said suddenly, startling Jellal. "I don't suppose you have any idea who?"

"Probably the carriage driver," he said reasonably. "I think if he'd escaped he'd have gone straight to the palace."

Neither of them mentioned the other option; that both might be dead.

"Tell me, Your Highness," Erza started, but Jellal cut her off.

"Please, no titles. Just Jellal is fine."

She smiled slightly. "All right then, Just Jellal. Why do you suppose the princess running away is your fault?"

He sighed, rubbing his forehead. "My father wanted us to get married to preserve his rule over Edolas. Lucy...she didn't want to."

"And you did?"

"Well, I couldn't exactly deny an order by my father, could I?"

Erza let out a breath. "You know, Jellal... your father, he-"

But she stopped right in her tracks, putting out a hand to stop Jellal as well and a finger to her lips. Motioning to be quiet, she crept forward and pointed to a house in the middle of a clearing. Jellal started in surprise; people _lived_ out here?

Creeping forward, they positioned themselves outside a window of the house to listen to the members talk. Jellal nearly shouted when he heard a familiar voice, but Erza pressed a finger to his lips, eyes steely.

"So," Lucy was saying, as she sat on the low wooden table in the kitchen. "If you don't mind me asking, Mira, how did your sister die?"

Cana sighed as she sat at the table beside Lucy, sipping at an orange juice. "Oh, Lucy, I wouldn't even mention that if I were you."

"No, it's all right," Mirajane waved her hand. "We're all here because we hate the king, right? I may as well, give her one more reason."

Lucy gulped, leaning forward in interest. Whatever dirt was about to get dished, she was excited to know.

"My sister was a sweet girl," Mira began. "Couldn't hurt a fly even if she wanted to. Well, one day a few years ago, she was in town and there was a riot going on. Lisanna tried to get away, but she ended up right in the middle of it." She sighed. "Poor thing, she was so frightened... if only Elfman or I had been there, maybe we could have stopped it from happening.

"The King's Army showed up to stop the riot. Only, it wasn't peaceful. It was a massacre. They pulled out their swords and cut right through anyone that was in the mob."

Lucy's ears were ringing. She couldn't quite believe what she was hearing; the table seemed to be disappearing from under her.

"By the time we got there, everyone was dead. Lisanna wasn't the only innocent killed that day. We also learned that it was the King's orders that none be left alive."

Lucy shrank back in her seat. Her head was pounding. "I can't believe I never heard about this." She felt like she was about to be sick. "How many other horrible things have happened?"

Someone dropped a stack of paper beside her. Starting, Lucy looked up to see Gajeel. "It's all here," he said gruffly. "I've recorded every single thing the King has ever done. These are the original manuscripts. You can read 'em, if you want."

With shaking fingers, she grabbed the pile. "Thank you, Gajeel." He nodded. But as he was about to leave, Lucy called out. "Hey, why do you hate the King so much?"

He shrugged. "He's a bad person. That's all."

Looking at Cana, the woman answered, "My father died in the army."

"We all have out reasons," Juvia said now, entering the kitchen, love-sick Gray in tow. "Every man in my village was forcefully conscripted to the army."

"And they tried to hurt my Juvia-chan," Gray added.

"How dare they," Lucy mumbled, a light mocking tone coming into her voice. Mira giggled, and Gajeel chuckled.

"Hey, don't make fun of him," came a new, pouty voice. "Gray's my new best friend!"

Natsu came into the room, and Lucy's eyes widened in surprise. The wimpy huntsman had taken off his shirt and had a bandage wrapped around his admittedly muscular chest. Lucy was suddenly reminded of how attractive he'd been sitting in the carriage. Now, though, his face with the puffed out blushing cheeks he looked nothing but adorable.

Lucy turned her head to the side so she wouldn't have to look at him. "Um, so, and...what about Levy?"

"What about me?"

The irritable girl was leaning in the doorframe. Natsu, who hadn't noticed her behind him, gave a little shriek and dove away. Levy held Lucy's glare with one of her own.

"You heard me," Lucy shot back. "I asked why you hate the king so much?"

"Why does that matter?" Levy spat. "Why do you even care what he did? It's not like you ever did anything to stop him."

Lucy stiffened. "What? How dare you!" Standing on her feet, she stomped toward the smaller girl. "As if I knew what he was doing! Believe me, if I'd have known, I'd have _done something_ to stop him!"

Colour flooded Levy's cheeks; she looked down angrily. "Whatever," she muttered darkly. "Like you could have stopped him from public executions."

Lucy blinked. "Public...?"

Gajeel had reached a hand out. "Levy," he started, but she brushed him off.

"Can it, Tin Man," she snarled, whirling on her heel and leaving.

Lucy watched her go in shock. She turned to Gajeel, whose face was twisted and grim. "What did she mean by public executions?"

"Read about it," Gajeel answered. "I'll go make sure she's okay." Without another word he slipped out of the kitchen. Lucy looked back at the others. Elfman had sat down and was crying on the table; Cana and Mirajane both had looks of great sadness etched on their face. Gray was clinging to Juvia and Natsu was crouched behind them.

"What happened to Levy?" She asked them all softly, almost afraid to know the answer. She stormed over to the table, ripping through Gajeel's articles until she came to one at the bottom of the pile. Sitting down, she read it furiously.

_Friday, November x773_

_If there is one thing that can be said about small villages, it's that the mob mentality will never fail. If one man decides to speak out against the rule, one cruel remark can be cast his way and suddenly his friends and neighbours will be after him with torches and pitchforks. Is it a testament to how backwards this world is that a simple opinion can be viewed as a threat to national security?_

_I watched this morning as a family of five was hung in the middle of the town square for all to see. There was not a single hint of guilt or remorse in any of their faces, not even as the five-year-old girl cried out for her parents. No one even offered the girl a hug, because her mother, father, older brothers, and grandmother were all 'traitors to the nation.' She had to sit there, alone, and watch as her whole world was murdered before her eyes._

_This king, this phony ruler, the man we call Faust – is not just a bad man. He is the very essence of evil, to order the execution of a peasant family like the act of scraping dirt off one's shoe. And he sits there in his palace as if he were a god, too, surrounded by only the finest things and cut off from the world. Is it right that we let him? Is it right that lives like that, while his subjects are forced to suffer? Is it right that he can choose who lives and who dies, while a lonely five year old girl now has to grow up without a family?_

_Yours in suffrage,_

_Gajeel Redfox_

Lucy clutched the paper so tightly it started to crease. In horror, she dropped it, and it fluttered to the table, loud in the silence of the room. She had a very sinking feeling about who that five year old girl was.

"Gajeel wrote that when he was eight," Mira sighed. At Lucy's startled look, she smiled lightly. "Yes, he's very talented, isn't he? He and Levy started this band together. They've been together since then." She gestured to the paper.

If Lucy had felt sick before, that was nothing to how she felt now. Sure, she didn't like Levy all that much, but having witnessed something like that at such a young age? Anyone would be angry for that.

Shortly, she stood, making the chair clatter. "I'm going to talk to her," Lucy announced. "Don't tell me it's not a good idea, because I'm going." She left before anyone could argue.

She headed up the stairs, to the platform where the seven beds sat. Gajeel was sitting on the very far one, talking quietly to a lump under the blankets.

"Levy," Lucy called. The lump stiffened, and Gajeel held out a hand.

"Lucy, maybe that isn't such a good idea-"

"What do you want, _princess?_"

The snarl came and Lucy had to duck a pillow thrown violently in her direction. Levy had surfaced, looking furious. Gajeel stood, and stepped back.

"I just," Lucy swallowed. "I wanted to-"

"To what?" Levy screamed. "To apologize? You don't know, do you? You don't even know!"

Annoyed, Lucy stormed over to the girl. "Will you shut up for a second?" She snapped. Levy shut up, surprised. "I didn't come up here to apologize, okay? I've got nothing to apologize for. You're right, I couldn't have stopped Faust from what he did to your family."

Levy stared at her, silence thick as the tension between them. Lucy narrowed her eyes, planting hands firmly on her hips.

"I came up here to tell you that Faust is evil. He is scum on the planet, and he deserves death a hundred times over. And I won't just sit back while he acts like a king. I'm gonna take the kingdom back from him, and I'll get revenge for you – for _all_ of you – and make him wish he was never _born_."

When Lucy finished her tirade, her chest was heaving, but she meant every word. Levy seemed to sense it, and despite her red puffy eyes, her mouth straightened into that familiar cocky smirk. "You know, you might not be so bad, princess."

Lucy nodded. "Then we understand each other."

She made to leave, passing Gajeel on the way. "Thanks," he told her quietly. She nodded at him too, heading back down the stairs with a new set to her shoulders.

When Lucy reached the kitchen, she found it empty; everyone had gone their separate ways. That is, she thought so; until she heard a noise from under the table. She snorted, ducking down.

"What are you doing?" she asked. Natsu gave a small shriek.

"Um, just hiding under here?" He said meekly. "You and Levy are really loud..."

She snorted again. Then, against all judgement and logic and reasoning, crawled under the table with him.

"What are you doing?" He asked, too surprised to be scared.

"Hiding," she answered. "What does it look like?"

He cast his gaze downwards. "No way. You're brave, what do you have to hide from?"

Lucy hugged her knees to her chest. The adrenaline from her argument with Levy had faded, and she was left with only the sick feeling of before. With a sudden wave, her entire body began to shake. "I..."

"Lucy?" Natsu asked tentatively, for she had gone very pale. He squeaked when tears started falling out of her wide eyes.

"I grew up next to a monster," she whispered in a haggard, cracked voice. "I... he was there the whole time, and I just...he just..." with a gasp, she started to have trouble breathing.

"Lucy!" Natsu cried, now very alarmed. He knew exactly what was happening; Lucy was in shock. He'd seen it all the time in his line of work, heck, he'd been through it himself a hundred times. Before the huntsman could even think about it, he reached out and pulled her close into a warm hug.

"Lucy, listen," he ordered. "Breath with me, okay?" He took slow, deep breaths as she tried to match them with her own shuddering ones. After almost five minutes, she finally calmed down and Natsu stopped worrying about her safety.

However, he now realized exactly the position they were in and nearly went into shock himself. He readied himself to get beat to death by the angry princess, but she did something that surprised the life out of him.

Lucy shifted in his arms so that her face was pressed into his chest, sobbing very openly. Her small hands fisted into the fabric of his shirt – he was suddenly very happy Gray had talked him into a shirt –and he tentatively allowed her to sit there.

It felt like hours before she stopped, wiping her eyes and glaring at him. "You tell no one of this," she threatened, and Natsu held up his hands in defense. She crawled out from under the table, almost immediately falling into loud but good-natured bickering with Levy.

Unbeknownst to the nine inhabitants, two more had been sitting outside the window, listening and hearing every word.

Jellal sat under the window, hands pressed to his mouth. No...it couldn't be...

Erza was staring at him, looking just as startled. Jellal stood up, storming away from the house without even bothering to talk to Lucy.

Hearing her voice saying all those things, he felt just as sick and disgusted as she did. He tore through the underbrush, with only one thought on his mind – to find his father and confront him.

"Jellal, wait!" Erza called when they were a safe distance from the house. "Don't do anything foolish!"

"Foolish!" he whirled on her. "How can I not? I am the greatest fool! I've let this kingdom suffer, because I never saw my father for what he was!"

She grabbed him by the shoulder. "I mean," she said forcefully, breath heaving. "Don't try to confront him without me." She grinned at him. "Faust is strong, you might need some protection."

He stared at her. "Erza, you..."

"I won't lie, Jellal. I hate your father. I've always known he was a monster, and to be honest I thought you and the princess were as well." Her fingers tightened. "But you aren't and neither is she. So I'm going to help you both take the kingdom back."

He smiled gratefully at her. "Thank you, Erza."

She nodded. "But, didn't you want to talk to Lucy?"

Jellal shook his head. "No. I don't want her having any part in this." He bit his lip. "He's my father, not hers. This is my fight."

Erza started walking ahead of him, her face in shadow. She did this so Jellal wouldn't see the smile on her face, but he saw it anyway.

xxx

Back at the palace, Faust was sitting alone in his study, staring resolutely at his magic mirror. He was determined to find that Ashley girl and destroy her if it was the last thing he did. He should have known better to trust Byro with something like that; the huntsman had been useless in his job.

The sound of a door slamming had him turning, in time to see his son storming towards him flanked by a tough-looking woman with flaming red hair. "Father," Jellal called.

Faust raised his eyebrows. "And where have you been all day?"

Jellal did not answer, merely slammed his hand on the dresser, making everything jump. "You tried to have Lucy killed?"

Faust started. He began to argue, but stopped. Was there a point? So he simply turned his head back to the mirror. "So, you know."

Jellal stumbled back. "You admit to it?" His face twisted. "You monster!"

Faust snorted. "Not like it matters. She's dead, now."

"No."

Jellal shrank back at the face Faust suddenly pulled. "What do you mean, _no?_" He hissed menacingly. "You mean she's still alive? And you know where she is?"

"No, I-" Jellal started, suddenly realizing how he'd just endangered Lucy's safety. But Faust grabbed his hand, slamming his palm onto the magic mirror. Jellal opened his mouth in an agonized scream.

With a cry, Erza started towards him, but Faust threw out a hand. "Stop, citizen!" He cried over Jellal's screams. "If you touch him he dies!" She stopped, but held her weapon high.

"What have you done to him?" She demanded.

Faust gave a maniacal laugh. "I'm stealing the information from his brain into my mirror!" He crowed. "And you can't do a thing to stop me!"

Erza stood by in horrified silence as Faust ripped Jellal's hand from the mirror, letting him fall to the ground. Erza ran for him, kneeling by his side. Faust ignored her, staring victoriously into the mirror. "So that's where she is," he hissed. "Hiding out with rebels, eh? I'll have them all hanged!" He finished with a roar, storming out.

Erza wanted to follow him, but a groan from Jellal stopped her. Swearing lightly, she pressed a palm to his forehead. "You fool," she murmured to his prone form. His breathing had steadied, but he was still pale and sweating.

She knew the prince would have wanted her to go after Faust, to save the princess. But Erza Knightwalker, for all her tough exterior, found unable to leave the young man's side.

"What have I turned in to?" She asked herself quietly, settling into a comfortable seated position beside the sleeping prince, fully prepared to wait until he woke up.

xxx

After the earlier, traumatic events of the morning, the group of nine had decided to party their worries away. Drinks were passed around with ease, songs were sung. Gray and Natsu sat together, apparently he hadn't been lying about the whole 'best friends' thing. The two were near inseparable.

Cana declined the drinks passed around, but Lucy reached over and grabbed the entire tray. She'd always prided herself at her ability to hold liquor. She had a new competitor, however, in Levy. The small girl apparently had the liver of an elephant.

The first morning rays hit the house, aiming straight for Lucy's eyelids. She groaned, cracking one open. Lucy had fallen asleep on the floor, and now her every muscle hurt like nobody's business. She was slightly vindicated to see everyone else had been sleeping just as uncomfortably.

For all the arguments, Lucy was having a great time. Here, nobody cared if she was a princess, and treated her like one of them. She felt...well, she almost felt like she belonged with this ragtag band of rebels.

There came a knock at the door, and Levy stumbled to her feet. Blinking away the sleep from her eyes rapidly, she asked Lucy slurrily, "Was that just a dream or did the door really knock?"

Lucy snorted. "Of course the door didn't knock you idiot, someone knocked on it."

"Whatever, bi-"

"Kay, guys," Mira's sweet voice interrupted. "I know you love your catfights, Lord knows you had enough last night, but will someone please answer the door?"

Levy pointed at Lucy. "She do it."

"Nice grammar."

"I said, _whatever bit-"_

Lucy climbed to her feet. She made certain to kick Natsu's sleeping form as she passed. Swinging open the door, the breath of fresh forest air served to wake her up out of her hung-over state, and judging by the sighs of relief coming behind her it rejuvenated everyone else as well.

Standing, shaking on the doorstep, was a small, frail old lady. She looked up at Lucy with rheumy eyes, and smiled sweetly. "Oh, thank goodness someone is home. I was worried I'd be lost in that scary old forest forever!"

Lucy cocked her head. The forest wasn't scary at all, but she supposed to someone like this old lady... "Do you need something?"

"Oh," the lady said in a sweet voice. "I'm just an old apple peddler. Can you tell me the way out of the forest?"

Mirajane stepped up beside her, eyes wide with concern. "It's just out that path," she said, pointing to a beaten trail leading through the sparser woods. "It goes through the mountains, however."

"Oh, that's all right," the lady smiled a toothless smile. "Thank you so much, sweet girls. Here, an apple for free. As a thanks!"

Mirajane looked hesitant, but Lucy was starving, and had never before turned down food. "Hey, thanks!" She said, snatching the apple from the old lady's hands. It was red and shiny, and looked very juicy. With a grin, she took a large bite.

At that moment, Natsu woke up. His eyes focused on Lucy, and the old lady in the doorway. They widened in fear, then saw the apple pressed to her lips.

"No!" he yelled. "Lucy, don't!"

But it was too late. Lucy choked, doubling over. Her face had gone white as a sheet, and before Natsu could get to his feet and run to her, she hit the floor. The apple rolled out of her limp hand, and hit his shoe.

Mira stood in the doorway, hands clasped over her mouth in horror. Levy pulled herself up. "What did you do?" She roared at the old lady in the door.

Said old lady had started to laugh, cackling like a madwoman. Levy ran for her, grabbing her throat, slamming her against the wall. _"What,"_ she snarled again, _"did you do?"_

"Levy!" Natsu had his hand outstretched. He was still looking at Lucy, tears in his eyes. "Stay away from him!"

Gray and Gajeel both started. "Him?"

"That's not an apple peddler," Natsu whimpered. "That's Faust."

The woman laughed even harder. One bony hand grabbed Levy's wrist and flung the girl away like a rag doll. Gajeel yelled in anger as she crashed into the back wall, rushing towards her.

The air shimmered, and then Faust was standing over them. "Oh, the huntsman," he sneered. "Guessed you failed your duty, then. At least I finished it for you!"

Natsu shook in fear. "Stop..." he whispered. Faust rolled his eyes.

"You're pathetic," he growled. "I can't believe I would have hired such a _coward._"

Natsu stiffened. "I'm not a coward."

"What'd you say?" Faust drew himself up to his full height, towering over the boy. Natsu cowered back, scrambling steps away, the tears in his eyes really spilling over. Faust gave a raspy laugh.

"I knew it," he crowed. "You are all too weak to stand against me. You call yourself rebels?"

The group shrank back. The only two who could have stood up to him were lying unconscious on the floor.

Suddenly, the wall behind them shook, and then completely blew out. When the dust cleared, two figures came through.

"Father!" Prince Jellal cried, throwing out a hand. "Stop!"

Faust cackled. "You're too late!"

The prince caught sight of Lucy's body, and let out a cry. "_NO!_" Dropping to his knees beside her, his hands clenched in fists. "What have you done, Father?"

Across the room, Levy stumbled to her feet, eyes blazing, propped up by Gajeel. _"Father?"_ She asked scathingly. "The prince is here?"

"You killed her?" Erza stepped forward, ignoring the mayhem in the small house and facing the king with a tilt of her chin. "Why?"

"Reasons," Faust answered her. "You seem like a smart lady; surely you understand the need to stay on the throne."

"She was going to fight you!" Levy threw at him. "She was going to take her kingdom back from you!"

"Exactly why she had to be eliminated."

In rage, Levy exploded from Gajeel's grasp. But this time she wasn't alone; Erza had grabbed Faust's bony wrist and twisted it behind him so that he was unable to move. Levy fist connected with his face, causing the satisfying sound of bone crunching and blood spurted from his nose.

Incented, Juvia ran forward, and seeing her, Gray jumped in with a battle yell. Jellal rose from his seated position, and within seconds the group had him subdued and tied to a tree trunk that had been serving as a pillar.

Levy stood over him with arms crossed. "Not so powerful now, are you?" She taunted. Faust spat and her and she lunged, but Jellal raised a hand.

"I need him conscious," he explained at her outraged expression. Turning a steely gaze on his father, he began his interrogation. "What did you do to Lucy?"

"I killed her," Faust snarled, but Jellal cut him off.

"No, you didn't. Her eyes are still moving."

The room gave a collective start. Natsu, who had remained immobile the entire time, leaned over Lucy's body to see that yes, indeed, despite the fact that her chest was not moving, her eyes were rolling around under the lids.

"It's like she's having nightmares," Juvia observed.

"That apple," Gajeel said suddenly. "What was in the apple?"

Understanding dawned on Jellal's face, just as Faust's twisted in anger. "You gave her a magic apple," He said to his father in angry amazement. "You really must be a monster."

"I did no such thing! She is dead-"

"What's a magic apple?" Levy asked the prince, arms still folded tightly.

"An invention of my father's," Jellal explained with a tight voice. "It causes you to fall into a deep, inescapable slumber plagued with horrible nightmares." Turning on the king, Jellal knelt. "But that last I heard, you were still working out the last few kinks."

Faust squirmed. "I perfected it! It has no flaws!"

"Funny how I don't believe you," Jellal said softly. He gave his father one long, sad, disparaging, heartbroken look, before turning his back in the man forever. "Listen, everyone, there is a way to save Lucy."

"You mean something can break the sleep spell?" Mirajane asked quietly. She was holding her brother, who hadn't stopped crying yet.

"Yes." Jellal's face was pale. "But I fear it may be a lost cause."

"Hey, don't go getting our hopes up and then crushing them," Levy growled. "Spit it out, what's the magical curse-breaker?"

"_Nothing!"_ Faust spat from behind them, but they'd mostly forgotten he was there.

"True love's kiss," Jellal said finally. "It's the most powerful magic in the world, and the only thing my father couldn't get out of the magic apple tests."

The room fell silent. True love's kiss? How were they supposed to find Lucy's true love? For all they knew, he might have lived on the other side of the world.

"It's Natsu," Levy said suddenly.

The huntsman jerked up from his seated position. For the first time since Faust had appeared, his face showed a little emotion, and no one was surprised to see fear in his eyes. "M-me? No way, there's no way, that's-"

"You arguing with me?" Levy threatened, and he shrunk back. She turned her glare on every one of her fellow outlaws. "Listen up, all you dork-brains. Maybe it's just a theory, and maybe I'm wrong, but we all saw how they were before all this happened. And even if I'm wrong, it can't possibly hurt to try! I mean we have to do everything we can to save her! Right?" Her face coloured as she realized how impassioned she's become. Crossing her arms, again, she turned her head to the side, fighting down a blush. "I mean, so she can go overthrow Faust, and all that."

There was silence in the room, but it broke by Gajeel standing up. "Levy's right," he said, brushing the dirt off his shoulders. "Natsu should kiss Lucy, even if it's just to see. All in favour, say aye."

"Aye," said Mirajane, eyes sparkling somewhat. Cana nodded, and so did Elfman, wiping his eyes. "Aye."

Juvia nudged Gray's side. "Aye," She said, some amusement in her face as he agreed immediately. Erza and Jellal both murmured their consent, and with a cock of her hip and a twisted grin at her lover, Levy agreed. "Aye."

From his curled up position, Natsu could feel all eyes focused on him. He shivered under their gaze, frowning lightly. "...aye," he finally said softly, so quietly they almost didn't hear him.

Leaning over Lucy, he took in her madly moving eyes. He gulped. Natsu wanted to save her, oh, he so badly wanted to save her. Maybe she was scary and loud and a bully, but he couldn't stop thinking about the girl he'd held as she went into shock. That girl, he knew, was secretly lonely, and it was that girl that he knew he had to try for.

Natsu was not a chicken. He was a coward, and no amount of lying to himself would change that. He was coward and he'd always been one. But now, he finally had a chance to be brave. To be someone's hero.

So, with all the bravery he could muster, he brushed his lips over hers.

It didn't even take a second. Breath rushed through Lucy, and her eyes snapped open. She sat up so fast Natsu was knocked over, and while everyone else in the room gave a cry of joy and shock, she shook her head wildly.

"Where's Faust? That murderer, I'll kill him! And then I'll bring him back to life! Just so I can kill him all over again!" Then she seemed to notice how everyone was staring at her, and stopped. "What? Is there something on my face?"

Faust let out a cry of anger, but Natsu's yelp of joy was louder as he threw his arms around Lucy. "O-oi!" She said in surprise, but grinned anyway. "What are you so happy about?"

"So Natsu was her true love," Jellal mused. He looked at Levy. "How on Earth did you know?"

She was looking at Gajeel with a wry smile. "I had a feeling."

Faust was struggling against the ropes binding. It was surprising Jellal that they had lasted for so long; the king was easily strong enough to break them with magic.

The Natsu was scrambling to his feet. "I remembered something else!" he cried, his burst of bravery had apparently not burned out yet. "When Faust wanted me to kill Lucy, I remembered something else that he said! Apparently," he turned to Lucy with bright eyes. "Your magic is more powerful than his!"

Jellal started. More powerful than Faust? But... "It explains why the ropes haven't broken! His power weakens in her presence!" His eyes lit up, and he gasped. "Lucy! I get it! Why Faust wanted you dead!"

"Because he's a monster?" Lucy suggested, climbing to her feet, still looking slightly green. Jellal shook his head.

"No! Because you have the power to take his power away!"

Lucy started. She whipped on Faust. Stamping towards him, she ignored his screams for mercy and whipped the crown off his head.

It was like an elastic snapped in the room. Nothing had changed, except that Faust looked older, and more tired. He stopped struggling against his bindings. Lucy tossed the crown up, catching it, with a winning grin. "So I guess all your power came from this crown, huh?"

There was a resounding cheer from the dwarves. Cana, Mira, and Elfman leapt to their feet, dancing wildly. Gray grabbed Juvia, kissing her fiercely. She looked surprised, but didn't argue. Jellal grabbed Erza and lifted her up, twirling her around while she yelped in shock.

Lucy bowed to them all. "Thank you," she crowed, "thank you very much."

Jellal set Erza down, applauding his sister. "I suppose this makes you Queen now," he said kindly.

She looked down in surprise at the crown. "I guess so, huh?" Squaring her shoulders, she began. "Right, then. First order of business: Faust, you are hereby stripped of all your titles. Your punishment..." she tapped her chin. Now that the moment had some, she almost didn't want to give him the death penalty.

No, that was the easy way out. Faust deserved something altogether more awful. She remembered to promise she'd made to Levy, and turned to her with a wicked smirk. "Hey, McGarden. I have a job for you."

"You do?"

"Yep. Take this jerk," she stuck her thumb in Faust's direction. "To the village and stick him in the stocks. Tell the villagers he's powerless, and they're allowed to throw as many tomatoes as they want."

"What?" Faust gaped. He shuddered. "No, no the stocks! Please! I can't take the embarrassment!"

Levy gave Lucy a thumbs-up. "You got it, princess." She turned to Gajeel. "Hear that, Tin Can? We got a job!"

Then Lucy looked back down at the crown. Sure, she'd promised, but...

She felt a hand on her shoulder. Startled, she looked up at Natsu, who was giving her a soft look. No words were spoken between them, but she understood everything his eyes said anyway.

So she turned to Jellal. "And secondly. Jellal, I now pronounce you the new King."

That caused a ripple of shock from everyone but Natsu. Ignoring the arguments, Lucy spoke over them all. "I could never be a good queen, not like my mother was. But you, Jellal – you have it in you to lead the kingdom of Edolas to where it's supposed to be. You should be the one to correct your father's mistakes."

He was wide-eyed as she handed him the crown. "What will you do?" he asked her.

"Well..." she turned to the Dwarves, all of whom were watching her. "I know I've only known them for a night but...I feel like I've found a family. And I'd like to stay with them." She jutted her chin out at Levy. "If that's all right with you, bossy."

Levy snickered. "Do you even have to ask, loser?"

Smiling at her friends – for yes, they were her friends, all of them – and then turned back to Jellal. "This is what I want," she promised him. "And besides, if you don't get it right, I'll just strip you of your power, too!"

Jellal smiled gratefully, taking the crown. "Well then," he began. "My first order as King is to get rid of this crown!" he cried, raising it up as the room cheered again. "Secondly: Erza Knightwalker, will you marry me?"

She blanched. Lucy snickered. Erza stumbled over her words, completely losing her cool. "I-but-you-why?" She managed to tumble out.

He shrugged, still smiling. "Caught up in the moment, I suppose."

Erza growled, but pulled him close to mash her lips against his. When he pulled back, he looked rather dazed. "I'll take that as a yes," he said, before she kissed him again.

"Time for a royal wedding!" Lucy proclaimed, happiness filling her for the first time. "Drinks on the castle, everyone!"

The room exploded into joyous chaos. Gajeel leapt over the couch to sweep up Levy in his arms. Juvia attacked Gray, the latter of which nearly died in happiness. Cana, Mira, and Elfman had started a ring of dancing. Jellal continued kissing Erza, and Faust fainted in shock.

And Lucy grabbed Natsu by the collar, swinging him into her arms and dipping him, leaning over. Rolling her eyes at his stunned face, she kissed him. Natsu, for his part, kissed her right back, feeling just about as brave as twenty kings.

Maybe there was something other than driving carriages that he loved.

_THE END_

Mary Jane laughed and clapped her hands. "Yay! Mama, that was so awesome!"

"How come you're the only one who wasn't different?" Hugo asked, tilting his head. Mira shook her head lightly.

"From what I know, dear," she mused, "No one was really different. They all had the same heart."

"Huh..." Fern tapped her chin. "Does true love's kiss really break any curse?"

"Yeah, that seems to be a running theme here," Hugo pointed out.

"Oh absolutely," Mira nodded. "Any curse in the world could be broken."

"Hey, Mama?"

"Hmm?"

"Can you tell us a story about you and Dad tomorrow night?"

Mira started. Looking into the wide eyes of her three children, she felt her face soften immensely. "Are you sure you want to hear it?" She teased. "It won't be too gross?"

"No, I want you and Daddy!" Fern yelled, pounding the bed.

"Okay, okay!" Mira grabbed the girl's fist, curling her fingers around it. "Tomorrow night, me and Daddy. I promise."

**XxXxX**

**Yup. Next story, Mirajane and mystery husband, final story. Whenever it comes. Ah, but what will be the tale? Well, when saving the best for last, isn't it only fair that I've saved the most beautiful tale of all?**

**~CCS**


	23. The Most Beautiful Tail of All

**Thanks for waiting so patiently everyone, it means a lot.**

**I know a lot of you guys were desperate for Laxus, and for that I apologize. I have nothing against MiraLax (apart from the fact that it sounds like a laxative brand) but deep down I think I like Freed more. So the internal battle was won in his favour. For those MiraLax fans in my audience, I hope you can still find it in your gracious hearts to read this last story. :)**

**XxXxX**

Settling down in her precious rocking chair, Mirajane opened the old book on her lap. Her fingers skimmed over the pages, over the words her own mother had once read aloud to her, Elfman, and Lisanna.

She looked up into the expectant eyes of her own darling children, heart filling with the kind of warmth that only came from family. "Are you ready for this?" She asked them.

"Yep!" Mary Jane chirped

"Ready as I'll ever be," Hugo added.

"I can't wait," Fern giggled. She clapped her hands. "Come on, Mama! Start!"

Mira cleared her throat. "Well then, if you're ready. Once upon a time, the most beautiful girl in the world's name was Mirajane Strauss..."

"_Mama!"_

"Hush, I'm the one with the book!"

_**BEAUTY AND THE BEAST**_

Once upon a time, the most beautiful girl in the world's name was Mirajane Strauss.

She was not beautiful simply by face, although her face was stunning enough. Clear, smooth alabaster skin with hair white and silky as a wedding dress and eyes that shone like the sea were some of her features, to name a few.

But she was also incredibly kind and generous. Mirajane was known throughout her town for being by far the sweetest girl. She helped the children of the village when they asked, and worked part-time at the local tavern to help keep her family afloat. For as lovely as she was, this girl was not rich, and struggled earn her keep.

Mirajane had two younger siblings, both also very kind and lovely. Lisanna, her younger sister, was pretty but too young to help with any work. Elfman was strong and did his share by helping the local carpenters and builders with whatever they needed, and together he and Mira were the breadwinners of their small family. Mirajane's mother had passed away long before, and their father was always out of town looking for some new and impressive way of earning cash.

Mira did not approve of her father's ways, but she said nothing so as not to upset her younger siblings. She lived for them; they were her life and soul. And she would have done anything for them.

Little did she know that she would have to give up everything for them.

It happened one cold, winter's night, when Mirajane and her younger sister were snuggling under a blanket next to the fire. Elfman was at the stove, baking the last bit of bread they had left. Mirajane would need to start working later nights at the tavern if she wanted to put food on the table for the rest of the winter. As if her father would ever contribute.

At that moment, the door swung open, banging with the force of the wind outside and letting snow pile into the hall. Mirajane stood up, letting the blanket fall protectively over Lisanna as she held up balled fists. "Who are you?" She demanded at the dark figure hunched in the door.

He pulled his hood back, and all three gasped. "Father!"Lisanna cried, racing towards him as he shut the door, catching him in a hug. "You've returned!"

He laughed, which shortly turned into a cough. Lisanna led him to the rickety chair by the fireplace, where he sat as Elfman brought him the bread. "Yes, my children, I have. And for once, I come bearing good news."

Lisanna and Elfman gave cries of delight. Mirajane, however, crossed her arms and remained stone-faced. She did not trust anything her father had to say.

The man caught the look she gave him, and let out a wheezy chuckle. "So, you still don't believe me, then, pumpkin?" He laughed. "Well, I suppose you might believe me if I showed you these." From his pocket, he drew several shining diamonds.

Mirajane gasped along with her siblings. These, she knew, were no false jewels. Two of those would be enough to forever save her family from poverty, and he had an entire handful.

"Father, where did you get those?" She asked, scandalized. Her father stood up, drawing himself to his full height.

"I didn't steal them, if that is what you are implying," he said. "I bargained for them."

"Bargained with whom? And for what?" Mira asked sharply. Lisanna and Elfman's heads swivelled on their necks back and forth. Their father let out a rowdy laugh.

"Well, I suppose it seems a bit silly now," he sighed. "Here, I'll tell you a story.

"While I was out travelling, I found myself lost in the woods. They were a dark and terrible twilight woods, and ones I surely never would have found my way out of without help from the supernatural. After days of wandering I found myself at the iron gates of a great, decrepit old castle. Just there, in the middle of nowhere!

"Upon entering, I was offered the greatest luxury and comfort by strange, invisible servants. I told them of my financial predicament, and they offered me gold and jewels, things they no longer had use for and kept in bucketfuls. I was so grateful!

But at that moment, the master of the castle appeared. And my, what a beast I tell you he was. A monster, right through and through. He said he would give me all the wealth I wished for, with only one thing in return. He demanded I give him the first thing to reach me on my way home."

Suddenly, his face fell dramatically, and he turned on Lisanna. "Oh, my darling daughter... that was you!"

Lisanna gasped, and Elfman dropped to his knees. Mirajane felt all the blood rush out of her head as her father turned to look at her with a cunning eye. Shakily, she realized exactly what had been issued.

A challenge of the highest sorts.

Mirajane tilted her chin, meeting her father's gaze as best she could without revealing her true hatred towards the man. "Lisanna," she said, voice steady. "Do not fear. I will take your place at the beast's castle."

xxx

It was beyond difficult, getting her family to let her leave. Mirajane knew that it had been her father's ploy all along to make her take Lisanna's place. Her father would have two things he wanted – all the wealth he could manage and Mirajane out of his hair.

She had no doubts that the castle and the beast were real. Magic was abundant, especially in wild old forest places. And she also knew that if she had not taken her sister's place, the poor young girl would have been lost forever. She could not do that to her precious sister, nor could she let anything happen to Lisanna while knowing she had the power to stop it.

So, with teary eyes and watching her siblings wave a sad goodbye, Mirajane sat on the back of a wagon and headed out into the wild unknown.

Mirajane Strauss was not frightened. She was a tough girl, strong and brave, a hundred times more than her sister ever was. She could handle this.

The wagon dropped her off at the edge of the twilight woods, refusing to go any further. The snow was almost up to her knees, and Mirajane nearly fell over upon landing. Brushing it off, she waved the wagon-driver her thanks and began wading through the snow.

It did not take her long to find the castle. Mirajane suspected fairies to have some part in it, after all, these were twilight woods. Perhaps all roads eventually led to this castle. Pushing open the gate, which was near impossible due to all the snow, she stumbled into the courtyard and took in the castle.

It was massive, towering above her, with dark spires and gargoyles snarling down. There were no plants left alive in the garden, and the stone path was cracked and weathered. Gingerly, Mirajane trod up the path, up to the double wooden doors, and knocked.

The door swung open. Cautiously, she stepped in, shaking the snow out of her hair. "Hello?" Mirajane called, wincing when it echoed. "Is there anyone home?"

Something snorted beside her. Mira started, whirling around to see nothing. "Home," a disembodied female voice said. "This is anything but."

"Shut up, Ever." This one was male. "If the master hears you he's gonna get real mad."

"Hello?" Mira asked again, now thoroughly confused. "May I ask as to who is speaking?"

"Us, dummy," the male voice said. "The invisible servants? Come on, your dad must have said something about us. I'm Bixlow."

"And I'm Evergreen," the female voice added. "We are the head servants to the lord of this castle."

"And..." Mirajane stepped gingerly, rather afraid she would trod on their toes. "Who, may I ask, is the lord of this castle?"

"Lord Justine," Evergreen sighed impatiently. "Come! We'll get you all cleaned up nicely."

"Okay," Mira blinked, following the sound of their bickering voices into a bright, open room filled with closets and armoires.

"Lucy, this one's on you," Evergreen snapped. "Bixlow and I are gonna go see Mr Crabby. Get her all cleaned up, ya hear?"

"Yes, loud and clear," another female voice said. Evergreen and Bixlow had presumably left the room, because now the new voice, Lucy, spoke with ease and kindness. "Hello, you must be the new girl. I'm Lucy, and all of us in here are the maidservants."

A chorus of girlish _Hello_'s greeted Mirajane, and she blinked. How on Earth were there so many people she couldn't see? Why were they all invisible? She wanted to ask, but was rather afraid of offending her new housemates.

"What exactly am I getting cleaned up for?" She asked.

"Well, you didn't hear it from me, but the master will most likely ask you to join him for dinner," Lucy explained over the titter of the other maids. "So we have to get you looking as pretty as possible! Shouldn't be too hard, considering," she teased lightly. "Come on, girls! Lets' get – oh!" Lucy gasped. "I didn't catch your name."

"Mirajane Strauss," she introduced graciously.

As her hair was being curled, a new voice piped up. "How come you aren't scared?"

"Asuka!" Someone scolded. The voice sounded young, so Mira leaned down.

"How come I'm not scared of what?" She whispered conspiratorially.

"Scared of the master," the little girl whispered back. "Everyone else who's come to visit is always terrified out of their minds. Your dad peed his pants."

Mirajane snorted into her hand. Stifling her giggles, she decided that whether or not the master was a beast, she liked his household very much. "Well, I'm made of a lot stronger stuff than my father."

"I'll say," said Lucy. "You aren't even shaking!"

There came a knock at the door. "Master Justine requests the maiden's presence at the dinner table," came the muffled voice of Bixlow.

Mirajane stood, brushing off her maroon gown. "Tell him I shall be with him shortly," she called. Admiring herself in the mirror, she smiled. "My, you girls did a lovely job."

"Not at all!" Lucy laughed. "All we did was dry your hair and give you a new dress. You're beautiful all by yourself."

Mira shot them all a look, even though she couldn't see them, then opened the door. "Well? I certainly hope you can guide me to the dining hall."

"Certainly," Bixlow replied jovially. "Follow my voice, my dear!"

The dining hall, Mirajane had to admit, was simply exquisite. Or at least, it would have been had it not been for all the dust and spider-webs. Mira raised her eyebrows at the disarray. Well, if she was going to be living here she certainly would have to change that.

Mirajane took her place at the end of the large table, staring as a plate floated in midair and landed gently in front of her. The smell of the food was delicious, and she tried not to groan in pleasure. Mira never had food like this at home.

She looked around her for any sign of her mysterious captor. "Um, is Lord Justine coming?"

"I am here."

Mirajane jumped. The shadow at the other end of the table moved and with a sick lump in her stomach, Mirajane realized that it was not quite a shadow after all.

He rose to his feet, and Mira felt herself shrinking back into hers without even realizing. The creature towered over her, like some kind of demon, complete with black skin, glowing eyes, and large wings that almost seemed like black holes with how they sucked in all the light.

"You are not the one whom first greeted your father," he spoke, in a strangely human voice. Mirajane gulped, taking a shuddering breath.

"I took my sister's place," she said. The beast looked surprised, and she gained a bit of strength. Sitting up straighter, she added, "Lisanna should not have to suffer for his mistakes."

"So you admit he made a mistake?" The beast asked her. Mirajane bit back a laugh despite the situation.

"My father is a fool. I should apologize to you for whatever he did while he was here."

"You admit your father did wrong, and you take your sister's place at my castle," the beast tapped his chin with a bony finger. He sat back down, and Mirajane swore she could see a hint of a smile on his dark face. "Both brave and beautiful. I admire that."

She smiled back at him, surprised that it was so easy. It was a genuine smile. "Thank you, Lord Justine."

"Please," he said, holding up a hand as the other delicately clutched a silver fork. "I insist you address me as Freed."

Surprised, Mira's hand hovered over her own silverware. Not only would he give her no punishment, but she was treated as a lady and was to address him informally?

Perhaps he was not such a beast, after all.

"Very well then, Freed."

**XxXxX**

**Sorry if there are any spelling/grammar errors, it's late and I forgot how to read.**

**Next update, the finale. The climax. The last great tale! Stay in tune for true love to conquer all! **

**~CCS**


	24. Ever After

**Guys I love you. Desperately so.**

**XxXxX**

Even though Mirajane wasn't allowed to leave the castle, she found that she really didn't want to. Despite being surrounded by the stone walls, the amount of freedom the castle gave her was more than she'd ever had in her entire life. The invisible servants, although she couldn't see them, were the kindest of people and the grounds outside were magnificent to explore.

But the one thing Mira enjoyed the most about her unexpected and newfound life was the master of the castle, Lord Justine. Despite his strange, scaly appearance, he was every bit a noble gentleman and Mirajane wasn't frightened of him one bit.

There was a library in castle, one filled with many magnificent books that Freed was often found in. After a bit of nosiness and prying, she found which books he liked the best – he had a preference for plays by Shakespeare. It was in the library that Freed spent most of his time, there or in the courtyards practicing his swordplay. Or else he would disappear for hours on end, to a place Mirajane could only guess was the West Wing – the one place in the castle she was not allowed to enter.

But although her curiosity was strong, there were too many other wonders of the castle for the West Wing to matter much.

It was one day while she was watching him in the courtyards, leaning against the cracked stone wall and reading a play that Freed had picked out when she decided to ask him. "Freed, why am I not allowed in the West Wing?"

He paused, rapier hovering in the air. "It isn't that you aren't allowed," he said finally. Mira raised her eyebrows as he continued the movements. "I would just rather you didn't. There are many things there a fine lady such as yourself was not meant to witness."

Mira scoffed lightly. Freed finally looked over at her. "You disagree?"

"I am not a fine lady, Freed," she smiled sweetly at him. "Just a simple townsgirl."

He shook his head, dark, moss-green hair swaying. "You are anything but simple, Lady Mirajane."

Mira snapped the book closed. Hopping down from the stone wall, she brushed off her skirts and stepped onto the courtyard floor. Freed smiled slightly at her. "Bored with my friend Shakespeare already?"

"Not at all!" Mira laughed. "_The Tempest_ is lovely. I may be falling in love with Ferdinand."

"Then why put it down?"

Mira leaned forward. "Teach me how to fence."

Freed started. "Fence?"

"Yes!" She clapped her hands. "I've always wanted to learn, and you're the best I've ever seen at it. Come on! Teach me!" She tugged on his arm.

Freed laughed. "Well then, all right. First off, the stance."

They spent the entire afternoon there in the courtyard. Unbeknownst to them, they were being watched by invisible eyes.

Later that night, as Mirajane was having her hair combed – it was always strange to watch strands of it float in the air in the mirror – Lucy began to tease her. "You and Lord Justine looked awfully close today."

Mira started, whipping her head around. "You saw?"

"We all saw," Levy piped up. "Gajeel says you two looked awfully touchy-feely."

"Who's Gajeel?"

"The one who makes all Freed's swords," Lucy sighed. "And the secret love of Levy's life."

"Oh, _hush!"_

A thought that had been worming its way into the back of Mira's mind for a few days made its way off her lips. "Why are you all invisible?"

There was silence. For a moment, Mirajane was afraid she'd offended them. But then, Lucy spoke. "We are all under a curse," she said softly.

"A curse?" Mira perked up in interest. "What kind?"

"The worst kind." Lucy's voice was dark. "It did not only curse the master to be a beast, but the entire household to be invisible and the castle to fall into disrepair..."

Mirajane sat up. "So Freed wasn't always like that?"

"Oh, no." Bisca's voice joined the conversation. "He was once an incredibly handsome man, you know. But he was cruel and selfish, and treated others without respect."

"Really?" Mirajane was confused. "But he's so chivalrous!"

"Now he is," Levy added. "He learned his lesson quite well when his own family drove him out."

"Oh, dear," Mirajane sniffed. "That's horrid. Isn't there any way for the curse to be broken?"

"There is," Bisca started.

"But we can't tell you," Lucy cut in quickly. "It's part of the curse."

Mirajane settled back into her seat. Poor Freed...to have been driven out by his own family... but then, didn't she know the exact feeling?

"You care for him, don't you?" Lucy noted. Mira felt her face flush.

"W-well, yes, I do. I mean, he's been nothing but kind to me, and-"

Lucy laughed. "No need to explain. I saw you in the courtyard, remember?"

"_Lucy!"_

xxx

After Mirajane had been at the castle for a month, they decided to hold a party. Even though Freed and Mirajane were the only ones seen, there were good times held by all on the dance floor – especially as Mira and Freed kept running into people.

"Oh!" Mira gasped, falling over. "Oh, I'm so sorry Lucy!"

"Actually that was me," Bisca snickered. Freed, too was chuckling. "Why, Lord Justine, that's the first time I've heard you laugh since – well, you know."

Freed extended his arm down to Mira. She grasped it, allowing him to pull her to her feet. "It's the ballgown," she explained sheepishly. "I am not used to so much fabric."

"It's a stunning ballgown," he said. She looked down, blushing with pleasure. It really was, yards of golden cloth and shining jewels. Freed himself looked dashing enough, with a blue coat edged on gold and his hair tied neatly at the back. Despite the scaliness of his skin, horns and glowing eyes, he looked almost handsome.

Taking his hand in her own, she very gently began to dance. Freed, as always, looked startled that she didn't pull away from his claws. But he melted into her arms, and soon they were whirling away across the floor looking for all the world like a king and queen.

Later that night, Freed asked her, "Are you happy here?"

"Well, of course I am!" Mira looked astounded. "Why on Earth wouldn't I be?" her face fell. "It's wonderful here, really... there I just one thing..."

"What is that?"

"My family." She looked up at him. "In leaving home, I left my two siblings in the care of my father. I just wish if I could know if they were all right."

He touched her cheek. "There is a way."

"There is?"

"Follow me."

He led her to the West Wing. Mirajane followed him in wonder up the stairs, into the dark tower filled with cobwebs and broken glass. "What on Earth happened here?"

"This is where I spent most of my time after the curse first hit," he explained. "I was so angry then." He took something off the table, holding it out to her. It was a small, handheld mirror. "This was my only way to see out."

She took it with shaking hands. "Is it..."

"Magic? Yes."

Mira stared into the mirror. Speaking directly to it, she said with a shaking voice, "I'd like to see my family, please."

All at once, the mirror flared to life, emitting a green light. Mira jumped back, nearly dropping it. Freed's hands circled around hers, catching it before it slipped. "Th-thank you," she mumbled, eyes focused on the mirror's depths.

Now through the glass, she could see her siblings sitting on a plush carpet. But despite the beautiful decorations of the mansion, both Elfman and Lisanna were lying on the floor, pale and sweating and looking very, very sick.

Mirajane gasped, shoving the mirror back into Freed's chest. Her eyes were wide, and she was shaking all over. "Father," she whispered hoarsely. "What have you done?"

"What is it?" Freed asked urgently. Mira shook her head frantically.

"He...he's done something, he's neglecting them...oh, all this time, I've been so happy and they've suffering!" She began to pace back and forth. "How long has this been going on? How sick are they? Does he even-"

Freed grabbed her arm. "Mirajane, stop."

She looked at him, finally stopping. His gaze was piercing and fierce. "You have to go to them."

"But Freed..."

"Go. I release you." He dropped her arm. "I shouldn't have kept you here for so long. It was selfish of me."

Mirajane grabbed his arm, lacing her fingers through his. Freed gave a visible shudder. "It wasn't selfish. I wanted to stay."

"But your family needed you. They always have."

She sniffed. Mirajane didn't want to leave. She really, truly loved it here, in this dilapidated old castle with snarky, invisible servants. And if it had been any other thing, she would not have stepped foot outside the door. But...

"Thank you," she said quietly. "Thank you for understanding how much they need me."

Picking up her skirts, she ran to the door of the West Wing. As she ran, she tossed back over her shoulder, "I'll come back! I promise, Freed!"

And then she was gone.

xxx

Mirajane raced through the forest, slipping on all the mud and melted snow. Landing on her knees, she cursed as the mud stained her ballgown. In her rush to leave the castle, she hadn't bothered to change or find a proper mode of transportation. The only thing on her mind was getting back to her siblings.

It was as if she had shifted into some demon mode. Her hair flew out behind her as she ran like the wind, never once tiring and eventually gaining her footing on more solid ground. A roar ripped itself from her lungs as the village came into view, and she picked up her speed like a madwoman.

She crashed through the gate of the fancy mansion her father had bought, ignoring the cries of the servants and gardeners. Upon reaching the heavy oak front door, she found it locked and barred shut. Angrily, she threw herself at it continuously until it went flying off its hinges.

Other housemaids screamed in alarm at the terrifying, figure in the doorway. Chest heaving, Mirajane stumbled into the unfamiliar house. She tracked mud all the way up the stairs, the where one of the doors had been sealed shut and labelled 'contaminated.'

"No, you can't go in there!" One of the servants cried, reaching for her. Mirajane pushed him off savagely, growling. Raising one foot, she began kicking at the door until it splintered inward.

Finally inside the room, Mirajane approached the two shivering heaps on the floor. The demonic rage that had overtaken her filtered away, leaving her with nothing but a sickening worry for Elfman and Lisanna. She knelt beside them, placing a hand on their foreheads. Instantly, she knew exactly what was wrong with them, and how to fix it.

When Lisanna opened her eyes, it was to Mirajane wringing out a cold cloth on the bedside table. She blinked blearily, groaning. "Mira? What are you doing here?"

Immediately Mirajane was at her side, brushing back her hair and cooing. "Are you all right? How do you feel?"

"Much better," Lisanna mumbled, blinking rapidly. "How's Elfman?"

Mira gestured to his steadily rising and falling chest. "He woke up a while ago. Napping now."

"What happened?" Lisanna asked, sitting up. "Wait – Mira! It's you! How did you escape the beast?"

She shook her head lightly. "I didn't escape, he let me go."

Lisanna furrowed her brows. "He let...you go?"

I saw in the mirror that you two were sick. He let me come and take care of you."

"But-" Lisanna sat up even straighter. "You can't possibly mean you're going back?"

"Of course I am," Mira said mildly. I left before I could tell Freed something very important."

Elfman, having apparently woke up, joined the conversation. "Who is Freed?"

"The man Father had the nerve to call a beast," Mirajane muttered irritably. "Speaking of whom, where is he? I have some harsh words directly for him."

"What do you mean?"

"Don't you two get it?" Mirajane cried suddenly, causing the other two to jump back in surprise. You didn't just get _sick;_ you got food poisoning! That man we all called Father has turned on us all, because he believes us to be burdens!" She stomped her foot, nearly tearing her hair out in anger. "He wanted me to take your place and go to Freed's instead of you, Lisanna! He thought he could deal with you two, but apparently he decided he couldn't because he _poisoned_ your _food!_ It was only thanks to Freed that I even knew you were sick!"

Elfman and Lisanna were staring at her, white-faced. "Oh, Mira," her sister whispered. "I'm so sorry."

She shook her head vehemently. "No, don't you be. He's the one who has to be sorry."

"No, that's not it." Elfman had his head in his hands. "Father left yesterday morning. He said...he was going on a quest to bring you home."

Mira gaped. "Wh...what?"

"He said he's going to kill the beast."

xxx

Freed did not bother to look up as the door to the West Wing swung open. After spending so many years together, he knew exactly who is was, and addressed them before they could speak. "What is it, Bixlow?"

"Freed, listen. You have to snap out of this funk you're in, there's a guy at the castle gates and he doesn't look too happy."

"That happens a lot. We don't have a gardener."

"No! I mean – we know this guy! It's the dude who sold out his daughter!"

Freed's head snapped up. "What?" Then his eyes widened. "Bixlow, _behind you!"_

Mirajane's father grinned triumphantly as he stuck his sword forward into what was seemingly thin air. But the sickening squelch and Bixlow's cries of pain landed heavy on Freed's pointed ears. "Thank you, _beast,_" the man snarled. "You've saved me so much trouble!"

With a roar, Freed launched himself forward, pinning the man to the wall by his throat. "Bastard!" He snarled. "How dare you!"

The man grinned, wheezing through Freed's grip. "I've come to kill you, wretched creature."

"Why? It can't be because of your daughter! I let her go!"

The man began to laugh. "Did you, now? You must have truly cared about her. She's like her mother that way."

Freed tightened his grip. "Then why are you here?"

"Simple," the man choked. "You have wealth, and I want it. Too bad about Mirajane, though. I'll have to dispose of her when I get back. _Again._"

It was enough to anger Freed into losing his control and focus, therefore allowing the man an opportunity to bring up his sword. With a shout of victory, he plunged it deep into Freed's stomach.

The beast stumbled away, clutching at his wound. His ears buzzed, and he fell to his knees. Couching wretchedly, he saw black blood spatter the carpeting.

Mirajane's father massaged his neck, swing his sword around. "Time for a little payback," he announced cruelly, approaching Freed's fallen form. He raised the blade above his exposed neck, while Freed struggled to raise his head.

"Father, _stop!_"

Both men started visibly. Mirajane stood in the doorway, chest heaving, hair frazzled, and looking every bit like she'd slipped back into demon form. "You," her father snarled. "How dare you!"

Mira said no words, merely darted across the room and punched her father out of the way. He stumbled back, ankles catching on something invisible and falling over. Bixlow gave a groan, and Freed felt another rush of relief. His friend was still alive.

Mira knelt in front of him, tears dripping from her eyes. "Freed, I'm so sorry," she whispered, voice cracking. "This is all my fault, I never should have left."

"No," he shook his head, dizzying himself. "I'm simply happy you're here."

Mirajane choked back a sob. "Please don't die," she whimpered. "Promise me you won't die. Not yet." He coughed, and her voice became louder. "_Promise!_"

"I promise," he mumbled, before slipping into unconsciousness. Mira let out a sob that sounded more like a scream.

"Foolish girl," her father slurred, dragging himself to his feet. "He's only a monster."

"He's not the monster, Father, you are!" Mirajane roared, all traces of the sweet girl she usually was gone. Reaching down, she pulled Freed's rapier from its sheath.

"Are you really going to fight me?" He asked incredulously. He didn't answer, merely threw herself forward in a flurry of attacks that had her father's grin fading within seconds.

He growled as she pushed forward, causing him to step back and back until his hit the window. He grabbed her wrist, swinging her around so the glass shattered. Mira shouted in agony, flailing as his grip around her wrist tightened like iron, and the ground beneath her feet disappeared as she dangled from the tower window.

"Good," he laughed at her. "I'm glad you came back. I'll have an easier time getting rid of you!"

"Why don't you love us, Father?" Mirajane asked him. Her voice had gone soft, and she looked at him with large, sad eyes. He faltered.

"I do love you," he answered unsteadily. "But I love myself more. Don't you see? That's the only way to be strong in this world."

Mirajane shook her head. "No, Father, you're wrong. Love makes you strong, yes, but it's your feelings for those you love that make you stronger."

"What do you know about strength?" he pulled her in close. "You speak about love making you strong, Mirajane Strauss, and yet here you are, about to be killed by me. You are _weak!_"

She gave him one last, long, sad look. "It appears nothing can save you," she murmured. "Father, I want you to know, I am truly, deeply sorry."

"For what?"

"This."

Mira brought her feet up, pushing against the stone wall while pulling down the arm that her father had. Jerked forward, he toppled over the windowsill, losing his footing completely. Mirajane threw up her free arm, just barely catching the windowsill and screaming as the broken glass cut through her palms.

Her father plummeted out of the tower, falling to his death with a long loud shriek that lasted until he disappeared into the fog below. Mira closed her eyes, tears flowing down her cheeks as she heard him all the way down.

Arm shaking, she struggled to hold on to the windowsill. Mira tried to pull herself up, but she had lost too much strength. Her fingers were slipping as it was.

Suddenly, something warm closed around her wrist and she started in surprise when she saw nothing there. But the angry, feminine voice made her cry out in joy.

"_Evergreen!"_

The snarky maid pulled her up and into the tower with surprising strength. "Yeah yeah, don't mention it," she shot. "I didn't do it because I cared, or anything."

Mira smiled gratefully in her voice's general direction. A groan from Freed, however, had the smile slipping from her face as she ran to his fallen figure.

"No, Freed, you promised," she hissed. "You promised me you wouldn't die, okay? You have to keep that promise!"

Two more people appeared at the door. "Elfman! Lisanna!" Mirajane said thickly. "What are you doing?"

"We followed you," he said simply. "Sorry we aren't as fast as you."

She bit her lip. Turning once again to Freed, she pushed a lock of green hair away from his dark face. "Freed, listen to me. I have to tell you something, okay?"

He shifted. "Uhn...no, Mirajane, listen..."

"No, _you_ listen!" She hissed fiercely. "You cannot die, not here, and not now, because... because you haven't taught me to fence yet! There are still so many things I have to learn...and you have to wait until I'm finished The Tempest! You have to hear my review, and..." her voice broke. "You can't die because I haven't told you I love you yet! So don't die! Okay?"

Silence. Elman hugged Lisanna as Mirajane's quiet sobs filled the room.

Lightning filled the sky, cracking across the tower and making everyone scream. Mira threw herself over Freed's body protectively as a bolt came right through the window, landing on the carpet. She shielded her eyes, and when she brought her hand away, Mira gasped.

There was a man standing in the middle of the room, glowing and crackling like lightning itself. He raised a jagged eyebrow at the scene, speaking in a deep, echoing voice. "So. he finally did it, eh?"

"Who are you?" Mira demanded, jumping to her feet. Evergreen shushed her.

"Don't! That's the evil wizard who cursed us!"

He sighed, fixing his eyes to exactly where she stood, as though he could see right through her invisibility. "Just because I rejected you, Ever, doesn't make me evil."

"Yes it does!"

"And Freed." He turned to the still man. "Poor guy. He really didn't deserve such an awful curse. Heat of the moment, ya know? Anyway," he hefted the fur cloak on his shoulders. "You can't undo a curse once you start it, but what were the terms of curse-breaking?" He pulled a scroll from nowhere, checking through all the points. "Fall in love with a maiden, check...make her love you back, check...before the final petal on that rose wilts. Oh, wait, I forgot to even give him a rose to begin with."

The man rolled the scroll shut. "Well, that's all there is to it, then. The curse on this castle and all its inhabitants is broken."

A bright, blinding, searing light overtook the castle. Mirajane once again covered her eyes, but not before she saw Freed's body lifting into the air.

When the light dimmed, the castle was as bright as day, while the sun beamed outside. Evergreen was standing completely visible, and Bixlow was both visible and healed completely. He pulled off his helmet, staring incredulously at the reflection. "Holy," he said. All throughout the castle, cries of joy could be heard as invisible servants were returned to their natural state.

And standing in the middle of the room was a man Mirajane didn't recognize.

He was tall, slim, and pale, all devastatingly handsome features in her eyes. His hair was bright, grassy green, and it gleamed like silk beside the glowing wizard. He wore a red overcoat that Mirajane recognized as Freed's, but...it couldn't possibly be him.

The man looked down at his hands in wonder. "I'm me again," he said in Freed's voice. Looking up to Mirajane, she saw very familiar eyes. "Mirajane! I'm me!"

"You're you!" was all she could say, and threw herself into his embrace. "Moreover, you're alive, you dummy!" Pulling away, she kissed him so fiercely on the lips everyone else in the room looked away.

Freed looked at the wizard once she pulled away. "Laxus..."

He held up his hands. "I know, I know. No need to thank me."

"_He wasn't going to thank you!"_

"Shut up, Ever."

There was a great banquet in the dining hall, one that Laxus did not attend but simply waved goodbye before disappearing out of the tower in lightning bolt form. But everyone else gathered around, servants and lords alike, tossing around food with abandon and breaking out into several food fights.

It was decided that Elfman and Lisanna would stay in the castle with Mirajane, and she was overjoyed to see them both hitting it off with Evergreen and Bixlow. Mira was also reunited with her handmaidens, all of whom she embraced tightly. She then watched as Lucy, Levy, and Bisca rejoin their lovers, smiles on even some of the hardest of faces.

At one point, Freed stood up to make a speech about how very sorry he was for everything; but was instantly booed down and thrown food at, because he shouldn't be apologizing for Laxus being a jerk.

And as for Freed and Mirajane, well, what else is there to say about them but that they lived happily ever after?

_**THE END**_

Mira closed the book quietly, placing in gently on the bedside table so as to not wake the sleeping children. They looked like angels in bed – well, Mary Jane and Hugo did, at least. Fern had inherited her father's green hair, and her mother's sleeping habits; meaning she sprawled over the bed and snored quite loudly.

Slipping out of their bedroom, Mira closed the door and turned around to come face-to-chest with her husband. Grinning up at him, she tugged on a strand of his long hair. "You get taller every time I see you."

"Nonsense," he smiled gently down at her. "You see me at least thirty times a day and usually more, if I got taller every time I'd be out in the atmosphere by now."

"You and your logic," she teased, and he kissed her gently.

"I heard the story you told them tonight."

"Mhmm?"

"Do you really think of me as a beast?" he said mockingly. She tilted her head.

"Well, if you consider the first time we really had a full-length conversation you tried to kill my brother..."

He swept her up into his arms, carrying her bridal style towards the bedroom. She laughed quietly, lacing her hands behind his neck. "I love you, Freed, beastly side and all."

"I love you, too, Mirajane Justine."

**XxXxX**

**Taadaa~!**

**Again, not edited because this needed to be posted ASAP. I couldn't leave you guys for one more second! Considering this is my last day of school and now I face two weeks of exams! (Ack!)**

**I mentioned before how much I love you all, but I'll try and drive the point home a little harder. I love you all! Really! Each and every one of you who followed, fave'd, reviewed, even just clicked and read it once! I'll never really be able to fully make you understand unless I track you all down and send you a million long-stemmed red roses and ice sculptures and heart-shaped boxes of chocolates buuuut I'm too lazy to do that so I'll just give you all big, sloppy kisses through the screen. MWAH~!**

**Now I suppose this is goodbye...unless I randomly decide one day to write up a bonus chapter or two. It's not entirely out of the question...**

**But for now I will leave you with all my love and a simple, once again, thank you.**


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